When Rain Falls
by canadduh
Summary: Symptoms of time travel without a capsule: Nausea, headache, confusion, fatigue, hunger. Of course the hunger may have been the fact that she had only eaten a few brownies in the last 24ish hours. The others were definitely the time travel. Another thing she had discovered was that there was no way that this was a dream. She had traveled to another universe.
1. An Introduction to the Prologue

Some days go exactly as you'd expect them.

For example: Tuesdays.

Tuesdays are boring and dreadful and take days to get through. On Tuesdays you go to school, or work, or whatever, then you go home and that's it. The same thing happens with Wednesdays.

Other days, however, are strange and never go the way you planned.

A great example of that would be Sundays. You'd expect Sundays to be boring and dreadful just like Tuesdays, but that's not the case.

This particular story starts on a Sunday. It begins with a car crash and the middle is an adventure and the end, oh the end, is the most magnificent ending to any story ever lived. Of course, as with any good story, there are several possible endings. Along the way several questions will be asked. The answers to some are obvious. The answers to others are not.

The most important question, however, is how we shall end the beginning of our story;

 _When does the Rain fall?_

* * *

 _ **A/N:** I'm typically not a fan of leaving an authors note on the first chapter but the second one isn't going to be posted for a bit. I'm thinking two weeks tops. Probably Thanksgiving-ish. This is my first Doctor Who fic and it's taken me four months to write the first few bits of it. I'll be posting each episode in two or three parts and I'll also throw in a couple original stories should time and creativity permit. I have up to chapter 6 complete and I am working on chapter 7 currently. Until the story is done I'll be posting every two weeks. If I forget to post make sure to shoot me a PM. And this is a really long A/N for someone who doesn't like leaving one on the first chapter... _

_Anyways, if you ever have any questions or anything feel free to leave a review or send a PM, after the first episode it gets really confusing for a bit but I promise it works out just fine... I hope... Anyways I hope you enjoy this story (Warning, title is subject to change, nothing has been finalized) (Disclaimer: I own only my OCs, Doctor Who is not mine and this is the only time I will put this disclaimer because this will not change in later chapters)_


	2. Prologue

It had started out like any other Sunday. I liked Sundays. On Sundays I had rehearsal for whatever the local theater troupe, Classic Acting Theater, was putting on. For this quarter we were putting on a ten man rendition of Pippin with help from a professional acting troupe from a larger town nearby. Five of their actors and five of ours.

After the rehearsal I got to spend the rest of the day however I wanted. This week my best friend Mike and I were going to a haunted corn maze two towns over.

"Go left, left!" I called with a laugh as Mike steered sharply to the left, causing me to ram into the door of the car. I screamed as the car spun out. Luckily for both Mike and I he was able to get the car under control and quickly pulled to the side of the road.

"Chris," Mike said as I got out of the car, "Chris I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry."

"I- It's okay, Mike." I said as I shuddered, "I'm okay."

I felt arms wrap around me and quickly turned into the hug and dropped my head onto Mike's shoulder as I returned the hug. Suddenly I felt light headed and I pulled back from Mike in confusion as everything around me turned white. The last thing I remembered was Mike calling my name in fear and confusion.

 _Chris Wesley has been acquired_

* * *

 _A/N: Oh, I am a liar, rule #75, sometimes I get impatient and will post two weeks earlier than I mentioned. The next chapter will be posted around Thanksgiving, so that's two weeks from now. Here is the Prologue. The next chapters are going to be much longer (Not sure by how much, but I promise they will be longer) Please review and let me know what you think so far..._

 _Jk, I know there's almost nothing to review, maybe ten paragraphs in all, but I will be expecting reviews for the next chapter. Enjoy!_


	3. Introducing: The Rain

_A/N: A little guide: -Italics are telepathy._

 **Asylum of the Daleks: Part One**

She couldn't move. That was the first thing she knew. The second was that she didn't know who she was, or where she was… or what she was. She couldn't see anything, she could hear anything. She could feel something though.

Something near her was alive. She didn't know how she knew that but she did. Just like she knew there were thousands of life forms near her but there was something off about them.

Granted there was something off about the one she could feel, like it was trapped. There was a tingling in the back of her mind and suddenly she heard a voice in her head.

"Hello!" The cheery voice called, causing the girl to flinch

"Who are you?" She asked, startled.

"Oswin Oswald," The voice said, "You are Rain, just in case you were wondering."

"But who are you to tell me who I am?" She asked. Slightly confused and extremely afraid. "I've told you, I am Oswin Oswald." The girl told her, "You are Rain."

"That's it, just Rain. I don't got two names like you?" Rain asked again. She wanted to pace. It's what she would normally be doing, she was sure, but it was not really something she was capable of at the moment.

She wasn't even capable of moving. The only reason she could talk to this Oswin person was because of a cybernetic field that Rain had accidentally opened with Oswin when she woke up.

Or so she had been told. Rain herself had no clue what was going on. She didn't know where she was, who she was, or why she was where she was… wherever that happened to be.

"No one really needs a last name, do they?" Oswin asked, smiling sweetly at the girl.

"I wouldn't know." Rain said and Oswin could only chuckle. Her new friend was so serious Oswin would change that soon. "Why Rain? Why am I Rain? What kind of name is Rain?"

"That's just your name." Oswin said, "That's what you told me."

"When did I tell you this?" Rain asked, frowning, "Why would I tell you my name was Rain? What kind of person is named after precipitation?"

"You didn't tell me. Sorry, I lied. You didn't tell me your name." Oswin said

"Then why did you say my name was Rain?" The girl asked, extremely confused and frustrated with Oswin. "Why would you say that?"

"The Dalek's told me." Oswin said finally, "They told me to fear the Rain. And then you showed up and they were… afraid."

"Why are they afraid of me?" Rain asked. "I don't even know who I am."

"How do you forget who you are?" Oswin wondered, not really speaking to Rain anymore, "How do you have no clue who you are? The Daleks are so afraid of you. They fear you more than the Doctor."

"Doctor Who?" Rain asked, tilting her head.

"The Doctor has been acquired" The voice of the Dalek rang out, a hint of glee announcing that this was a good thing for the Daleks. Which anyone who had paid attention to the Daleks at all in history would know that it probably wasn't. The Doctor always won.

"Why do the Daleks want this Doctor person?" Rain asked Oswin, after Oswin had explained the voice and what it meant, "Why is one man so important?"

"He's dangerous to them." Oswin said, "And he'll save them."

"If he's dangerous how can he save them?" Rain asked when the Dalek voice sounded again

"Amelia Pond has been acquired." Followed shortly by, "Rory Williams has been acquired."

Oswin watched with rapt fascination as The Doctor and his companions appeared in the center of a group of Daleks. She had managed to hack the security system and get a visual on them and was showing Rain the images through the link they had managed to form. By they she really meant Rain. Oswin had no idea how the other girl had done it.

"Parliament of the Daleks?" Rain asked, "Daleks have a form of government?"

"Well, yeah." Oswin said, "They say that Daleks only feel hate."

"Isn't hate a combination of Fear and Anger?" Rain asked unsurely, "Why are they angry and… what do they fear?"

"I don't know why they're angry." Oswin said after a moment, "But I know that they fear the Doctor… and you"

"What exactly are Daleks?" Rain asked after a few minutes of just watching the proceedings in the Parliament, "I mean, they're alien. I can see that much, but what are they?"

"An alien species created by a man named Davros so very long ago. The arch-enemy of the Time Lords."

"Do people have arch-enemies?" Rain asked, followed by, "What's a Time Lord?"

"Ugh," Oswin groaned, getting tired of explaining things to the girl, "Time Lords. An extinct species except for The Doctor, from Gallifrey. Now hush."

"Gallifrey." Rain said, testing the word. She was about to ask another question but found that she couldn't. There was no connection with Oswin anymore and she was alone.

* * *

"Day 363." Oswin said, starting another daily recording, "The terror continues. Also, made another souffle." She pulled the souffle out of the oven and tossed it into the garbage with a wrinkle of her nose, she'd been too distracted by Rain, "Very nearly. Checked defences. Made a new friend. They came again last night. It's still always at night. Maybe they're vampires. Oh, and it's my Mum's birthday. Happy birthday, Mum. I did make you a souffle, but it was too beautiful to live." Oswin sighed as the voices of the Daleks got louder

"You will let us enter! We will enter! We are the Daleks, you will let us enter! Enter! ENTER! ENTER!"

* * *

"What's he doing?" Rory asked Amy despite the fact that he was undoubtedly upset with his soon to be ex-wife

"He's chosen the most defendable area in the room, counted all the Daleks, counted all the exits and now he's calculating the exact distance we're standing apart and starting to worry." Amy said as the Doctor looked around the room before glancing at the two of them, "Oh, and look at him frowning now. 'Something's wrong with Amy and Rory, and who's going to fix it?' - And he straightens his bow tie!"

"We have arrived." The secretary of the Daleks said. An older woman with red hair, a lightly wrinkled face, and black clothing. The same woman that had been the Doctor's trap.

"Arrived where?!" The Doctor called, turning to face the woman

"Doctor, the Prime Minister will speak with you now." The Dalek hybrid said.

"Do you remember who you were, before they emptied you out and turned you into their puppet?" The Doctor asked the woman, getting in her face

"My memories are only re-activated if they are required to facilitate deep cover or disguise."

"You had a daughter." The Doctor said

"I know." The woman snarked, "I've read my file."

"Well?" The Doctor asked, drawing out the word as he stepped closer to the Prime Minister.

"What do you know of the Dalek Asylum?" The Dalek asked haltingly

"According to legend, you have a dumping ground." The Doctor said, "A planet where you lock up all the Daleks that go wrong. The battle-scarred, the insane. The ones even you can't control. Which never made any sense to me."

"Why not?" The Dalek asked as the Doctor's eyes started to wander

"Because you'd just kill them." The Doctor said bringing his attention back to the Prime Minister

"It is offensive to us to extinguish such divine hatred." The Dalek told the trio

"Offensive?" The Doctor asked

"Does it surprise you to know the Daleks have a concept of beauty?" The Prime Minister asked

"I thought you'd run out of ways to make me sick, but hello again." The Doctor whispered in disgust, "You think hatred is beautiful?" The Doctor shook his head before making his way over to Amy and Rory

"Perhaps that is why we have never been able to kill you." The Prime Minister said, making The Doctor pause for a moment before he continued to his companions.

* * *

"Oswin?" Rain said, feeling that the link they'd previously had was open again, "What happened with the Doctor?"

"I'm speaking with him now," was Oswin's reply, "He's actually real."

"What?" Rain asked, wondering how someone could not be real. "What am I then?"

"You don't even know your name, how do I know you're real?" Oswin asked before letting Rain listen in on her conversation with the Doctor.

"Oswin Oswald, Junior Entertainment Manager, Starship Alaska." Oswin said, "Current status - crashed and shipwrecked somewhere not nice. Been here a year, rest of the crew missing. Provisions good, but keen to move on."

"Oswin, if you've been here a year, how long have I been here?" Rain asked quietly, only to be ignored by the girl who was focused solely on the Doctor.

* * *

"A year?" The Doctor asked softly, "Are you OK, are you under attack?"

"Some local life-forms, I've been keeping them out." Oswin said.

"Do you know what those life-forms are?" The Doctor questioned, concerned for the young girl.

"I know a Dalek when I hear one, yeah." Oswin said glancing back at the wood covered door.

"What have been doing, on your own, against the Daleks for a year?!" The Doctor asked

"Making souffles." Oswin said, she would have mentioned how she'd been talking to Rain but she didn't want to explain to the girl that she lost her memory everyday.

"Souffles?! Against the Daleks?" The Doctor asked, "Where do you get the milk?"

"This conversation is irrelevant." The Prime Minister interrupted only for the Doctor to turn on him with a glare

Oswin's transmission was cut and she started to panic and type quickly in order to get the transmission back up so that she could talk to someone who was actually going to remember the conversation the next day.

"The asylum must be cleansed." The Prime Minister said

"Then why is it still here?" The Doctor asked, "You've got enough firepower on this ship, to blast it out of the sky."

"The Asylum force-field is impenetrable." The Secretary said

"Turn it off." The Doctor said, not looking away from the Daleks

"It can only be turned off from within the Asylum." She told him

"A small task force could sneak through a force-field, send in a couple of Daleks." The Doctor said, walking back to Amy and Rory before stopping half way there and turning around "Oh! Oh, that's good." He started clapping "That's brilliant. You're all too scared to go down there! Not one of you will go! So tell me - what do the Daleks do when they're too scared?"

"The predator of the Daleks will be deployed." One of the Daleks said, "The Rain must be destroyed."

"You don't have a predator." The Doctor pointed out, "And even if you did, why would they turn off a force-field for you? And why do you want to destroy the Rain? Don't want to get a little rusty?"

"Because you will have no other means of escape." The Prime Minister told the Doctor as said man looked at the Dalek in confusion before the secretary walked up to him.

"May I clarify The Predator is the Daleks' word for you." She informed

"Me?!" The Doctor yelled, "Me?!"

"You will need this. It will protect you from the Nano-cloud." The woman said, attaching a bracelet to the Doctor's wrist.

"The what, the nano-what?" The Doctor asked as two men grabbed his arms and led him down to the middle of the arena.

"The gravity beam will convey you close to the source of the transmission." The woman explained "You must find a way to deactivate the force-field from there."

"You're going to fire me at a planet?" The Doctor asked again, his voice slightly higher pitched than it had been. "That's your plan? I get fired at a planet and expected to fix it?"

"In fairness, that is slightly your MO." Rory said, leaning past Amy

"Don't be fair to the Daleks when they're firing me at a planet!" The Doctor said before turning to the Daleks as bracelets were attached to Amy and Rory "What do you want with them?!"

"It is known that the Doctor requires companions." The Dalek replied

"Oh, Brilliant." Rory groaned "Good-oh!"

"Don't worry, we'll get through this I promise." The Doctor said, looking at Amy and Rory, "Don't be scared."

"Scared? Who's scared?" Amy said, "Geronimo."

The Doctor started to laugh before being pushed into the light and transported to the Asylum, followed quickly by Amy and Rory.

* * *

Rain could sense three new lifeforms near her. She didn't know how, she didn't even know where 'here' was. She knew nothing. She didn't know if she had a real form, she couldn't feel anything. No toes or fingers, things that she was certain would be clear indicators of a real body. She knew nothing about herself but she could recite pi up to the one-hundredth digit and was absolutely positive that she wasn't spewing random numbers.

She was pretty sure she knew the equations for most basic physics concepts and even some of the more complicated ones. Such as the exact equation needed to get a rocket to fly from Earth to the Moon with three grown men on board.

She knew the makeup of every single mineral on the planet earth but she didn't even know how old she was. She knew how to travel faster than light, she could do complicated math, she was pretty sure she knew how to cook. Not that she could prove that. But she had no idea who she was and that was frustrating to no end.

Especially since she didn't even know where she was. With all these facts about Earth in her head surely she was human. But then why didn't she feel a body. And Oswin had told her that she wasn't on earth. That they were in this place called the Asylum of the Daleks, like that was normal.

One of the life forms was moving near her. She could feel them getting closer and Rain called out to them, sensing that the person, human, was startled.

"Sorry" She apologized once the man had calmed down, "So sorry, but you're close to me, and I don't know where I am."

"Your voice is in my head." She heard faintly, "How are you doing that?"

"To be honest, I have no clue." Rain said, "I won't hurt you, I don't know that I can. Turn left here."

She felt him turn left and smiled as he drew nearer.

"I'm Rain." She told him as he got nearer, "Who are you?"

"Rory" The man said

"The Rory that was with the Doctor?" She asked

"How'd you know that?" Rory said, stopping around twenty feet from Rain, "There's a door."

"Oswin told me." Rain said, "See if you can open it, there might be a panel to the side, try the right."

After a few moments Rain heard a door open and Rory gave a triumphant yell before stepping into the room. Rain smiled as she felt him draw nearer, slowly.

"Rain," Rory said cautiously, "The room is empty."

"No, you're right next to me, I promise." Rain told him, "No, wait. You're right above me. Check the floor, there might be a trap door or a panel."

She felt Rory kneel and start feeling around the floor for a panel. She could sense him right above her and it was so frustrating, not being able to see anything.

Suddenly there was a high pitched whirring and Rory let out a brief laugh before a sudden sharp gasp.

"Rain," He said gently, "You're floating in liquid. Are you sure it's safe to move you?"

"Please," Rain said, "I don't care if I die. Just get me out."

* * *

"We came down two days ago." Harvey said, leading the Doctor and Amy in his ship "There are 12 other escape pods. I don't know what happened to them."

"Alaska?" Amy asked, looking at the name of the ship

"That's the same ship as souffle girl." The Doctor said, "Except she's been here a year."

"We should have some climbing rope long enough for that hole." Harvey said moving to a panel in the wall to search for the rope.

"Won't you introduce us to your crew?" The Doctor asked, looking around the room

"Ah yeah, sorry." Harvey said, moving back into the room, "Guys, this is the Doctor and Amy." No one responded so he tried again, "Guys?"

When there was no response again The Doctor moved forward to place a hand on the closest crew members shoulder, causing the mummified corpse of the crew member to fall forward

"Oh, my God!" Harvey said as the Doctor proceeded to sonic the men

"They're dead." The Doctor told them, "All of them."

"That's not possible." Harvey said, panicking, "I just spoke to them. Two hours ago, we were doing engine repairs!"

"You're sure about that, are you?" The Doctor asked, moving around the room "Cos I'd say they've all been dead for a very long time."

"But but they can't have been" Harvey argued

"Well, they didn't get in that state in two hours." Amy pointed out, watching the mummies with caution.

"Oh, of course! Stupid me." Harvey exclaimed, drawing the attention of Amy and the Doctor to him.

"Of course, what?" Amy asked

"I died outside and the cold preserved my body." Harvey explained as his forehead started to grow one of the dalek stalks out of it "I forgot about dying."

"Amy!" The Doctor called and he used a fire extinguisher to stop Harvey from moving forward "The door!"

Amy rushed to the door and opened it in time for the Doctor to shove Harvey into a separate room before closing the door and taking a deep breath.

"Explain!" Amy demanded, moving behind the ladder, "That's what you're good at. How did he get all Daleked?"

"Because he wasn't wearing one of these." The Doctor said, lifting up his arm to show Amy the bracelets they had been given, before getting really excited about something "Oh-hoho! That's clever! The nano-cloud. Micro-organisms that automatically process any organic matter, living or dead, into a Dalek puppet. Anything attacks this place, it automatically becomes part of the on-site security."

"Living or dead?" Amy asked, looking around the room worriedly

"These wristbands protect us." The Doctor continued, not hearing Amy, "The only thing stopping us going exactly"

"Doctor, SHUT up!" Amy yelled when she was in front of the Doctor before reiterating, "Living or dead?!"

"Yes, exactly," The Doctor said as the Mummies started to move. "living, or, or dead. Oh, dear."

The Doctor and Amy rushed to the door that they hadn't shoved Harvey in and opened it quickly. The Doctor went in first followed by Amy. As Amy went through the door she was grabbed by one of the Dalek hybrids and her anti-nanocloud bracelet was forced off her wrist.

"Is it bad that I've REALLY missed this?" Amy asked as she and the Doctor leaned against the door to catch their breath after the Doctor had forced the Dalek-Hybrid to release Amy.

"Yes." The Doctor said with a mock frown

"Good." Amy smiled

"I know." The Doctor, pushing off the door as a voice sounded over the intercoms

"Unauthorised personnel may not enter the cockpit." Oswin said, her voice slightly muffled

"Shut up!" The Doctor commanded

"Ooh, Mr Grumpy!" Oswin chided, "Bad combo! No sense of humour and that chin."

"Is that her again - souffle girl?" Amy asked, but the Doctor ignored her in order to oppose Oswin's comment.

"What is wrong with my chin?!" He asked, offended, as he brought his chin closer to the camera that Oswin was watching them through

"Careful, dear, you'll put someone's eye out." Oswin mocked, before getting back to business, "I'm scanning you. You're on another of the escape pods from the Alaska, right? Same ship I was on."

"How can you hack into everything?" The Doctor asked, "Should be impossible, you're in a crashed ship!"

"Long story." Oswin said, typing away at the keyboard that was on her lap, "Is there a word for total screaming genius, that sounds modest and a tiny bit sexy?"

"Doctor." The Doctor said with a smirk, "You call me the Doctor."

"I see what you did there." Oswin said, "Check the floor. I'm picking up a breach at floor level, there could be a way out."

"See you later!" The Doctor called as he went to search the floor as Oswin had suggested. "Aha, hatch!" He lifted the hatch to reveal a hole that went straight down with a rope ladder hanging on it. "Looks like it's been used already, and they tried to block it off behind them."

"Can't imagine why!" Amy said, as the Dalek-Hybrids started to pound on the door.

"The lower part of the pod is buried, so this must go straight down into the Asylum." The Doctor said as they looked down the hole to find they were unable to see the bottom

"Where Rory is?" Amy asked, worried for her soon to be ex-husband

"Speaking of Rory Anything you want to tell me?" The Doctor asked, looking up at Amy in concern

"Are we going to do this now?!" Amy asked, looking at the Doctor like he was stupid, which was her current opinion of him, if she was being honest.

"What happened" The Doctor asked, the concern for his companions evident in both his expression and his tone.

"Oh, stuff, you know." Amy said nonchalantly, "We split up. What can you do?"

"What can I do?" The Doctor asked, causing Amy to look away

"Nothing. It's not one of those things you can fix like you fix your bow tie." She reached out and tweaked his bow tie a little as the Doctor gave her puppy-dog eyes, "Don't give me those big wet eyes, raggedy man. It's life. Just life. That thing that goes on when you're not there." She looked down the hole to draw the conversation away from the lack of love-life between her and Rory, "OK, so someone else got out this way then?" The Doctor nodded, "Let's go and find them."

Before they could start down the hole the Dalek-Hybrids started to get more violent. The Doctor ran over to the door and used the sonic to open the video link only to see that they had a bracelet just like the ones he and Amy were wearing.

"Oh, hello, hello, hello?" He asked as the hybrids pushed to be at the front of the video link.

"What are they up to?" Amy asked, also noticing the bracelets, "What's that?"

"One of these." The Doctor said absently, raising his wrist to show Amy his bracelet. "Where did they get it?"

"Doctor!" Amy called, after checking her wrist, she lifted it to show him, "They got it from me!"

"Oh, Amy!" The Doctor said, grabbing her wrist and looking between it and the video link.

"Doctor?" Amy asked, "What's going to happen to me?" He walked away so Amy followed him as he neared the hole, "Seriously, tell me, what?"

The Doctor just shushed Amy, not wanting to scare his friend. However he knew that this was very, very bad. Thereabouts of twelve suitcases full of bad

* * *

Once Rory had gotten the girl out he moved her out of the room and laid her out on the floor. He could see that she was still breathing and he checked the rest of her for injuries.

"Rain?" Rory asked, "Rain, can you open your eyes?"

I don't have control of my body yet. The voice, Rain's voice, flitted through his mind, I didn't even know I had a body until just now, couldn't feel a damn thing.

"How did you know I was there, then?" Rory asked, looking around at the Daleks that were near the duo.

It's like, I can sense life forms. There are 30, 344, 544, 504.5 Daleks here. Rain said and Rory looked at her, shocked.

"How can there be half a Dalek?" Rory asked

Oswin, she's not completely human, not completely Dalek. Rian said, I just woke up today, I didn't even know my name until she told me.

"How'd she know then?" Rory asked before standing up and walking over to one of the Daleks.

She said the Daleks fear me or something. Rain told him, 'Fear the Rain' or something like that.

"Ee-ee-ee-eex" The Dalek started, startling Rory and making him forget his response

"What? Sorry - what?"

"Eggzz, eggzz, eggzz, eggzz, eggzz." The Dalek said and Rory pointed to one of the egg shaped things near the Dalek that matched the domes on its body

"Eggs?" He asked, "D'you mean those things?"

"Egggzzzzzzzz."

"I don't I don't know what you want." Rory said

"Those things?" Rory tried again, "Are those things eggs? This? You want this?"

Rory Rain said, careful.

"Eggggzzz term in ate. Eggzz term in ate. Ex term in ate! Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!"

Rory ran over as the Dalek tried to kill him and picked up Rain

"Run!" A voice called and Rory ran, "The door at the end, run for it! They're waking up but they're slow. The door at the end, just run."

That's Oswin, Rain said, Do as she says, just run.

"Now, now, now!" Oswin called again as Rory neared the door. All of the Daleks in the room started to go after them too

"Exterminate! Exterminaaaaate! Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!" The Daleks called, following Rory as the man entered the other door with Rain still in his arms and only seconds to spare

"So anyway." Oswin said when "I'm Oswin. What do I call you?"

"Er I can't even remember."

Rory

"Er Rory." He said, casting a glance at the woman in his arms.

"Lovely name, Rory." Oswin said, "First boy I ever fancied was called Rory. OK Actually, she was called Nina, I was going through a phase. Just flirting to keep you cheerful."

"Exterminate! Exterminate!" The Daleks called, running into the doors as they tried to get through the door.

"Okay Any time you want to start flirting again it's fine by me" Rory said, making Rain chuckle.

"So, tell me." Amy demanded of the Doctor "What's going to happen to me? And don't lie, cos I know when you're lying to me and I will definitely fall on you."

"The air all around is full of micro-machines, robots the size of molecules, nanogenes." The Doctor said, "Now that you're unprotected, you're being re-written."

"So, what happens?" Amy asked, "I get one of those things sticking out my head?"

"Physical changes come later." The Doctor told her.

"What comes first, how does it start?" Amy asked

"With your mind." The Doctor explained, "Your feelings, your memories and I'm sorry, but it's started already."

"How do you know?" Amy questioned, stopping the Doctor with panic evident in her voice

"Because we've had this conversation four times." The Doctor said, grabbing Amy's hand and moving them forward

"OK." Amy voiced, "Scared now."

"Hang on to scared." The Doctor demanded, "Scared isn't Dalek."

* * *

 _A/N: Alright. In honor of the creation of Doctor Who, and the fact that I got the classes I wanted for the next quarter, I have decided to post early. The next part of this episode will go up on Thursday when I'm on the train to my dad's house. Until then, enjoy your selves and make sure you tell the people you love that you're thankful for them._

 _From Rain's point of view at first she isn't using telepathy. She's disoriented for awhile. If you get confused about point of views let me know. Later on it becomes first person and a lot easier to understand_


	4. Introducing: The Rain Part Two

"You know, Rory," Rain said "I think I can feel my toes now."

"That's good," Rory said, breathing heavy at the extra weight, despite how light Rain was, "That's very good."

"That's what they call the thing at the end of your feet, right?" She asked, wanting to get her savior to laugh

He looked at her oddly though, not understanding it was a joke, "Yeah, those are toes."

"Hey there, beaky boy." Oswin said, interrupting Rain's response,

"If it's a straight choice, I prefer Nina." Rory said.

"Loving this - the nose and the chin. You two could fence." Oswin said, "There's a door behind you." Rory turned to see a door, "In there, quickly." Rory entered another cavernous room, "OK, you're safe for now. Oh and, Rory, you've got a little Rain on you."

"She thinks she's hilarious," Rain said as Rory laid her out on the ground so that he could take a break, "Doesn't even know. Poor girl"

"How do you know, then?" Rory asked, sitting next to Rain, "You said you just woke up."

"Honestly? I have no clue." Rain said, "I just know things. It seems that the longer I'm awake the more I know."

"Strange," Rory said before the two of them lapsed into silence.

* * *

"Oswin?" A voice called, The Doctor's voice, "Oswin, can you hear me?"

"Hello, the Chin!" Oswin greeted cheerfully, "I have visual on you!"

"Why don't I have visual on you?" The Doctor asked, "Why can't I ever see you?"

"Limited power, bad hair, take your pick." Oswin flirted, "There's a door to your left, open it. Going to send you a map to that screen." The Doctor opened the door as Oswin changed the screen to keep her visual, "I've put your little friend somewhere safe, I can get you to him."

"Rory?" The Doctor asked "You've found Rory?"

"I call him Nina. He's saved Rain," Oswin said, "Hush now."

"Who are you?" The Doctor asked, fascinated and slightly frightened by Oswin, "Who is Rain?"

"Doctor" Amy called

"How many Daleks directly ahead of me, right now?" The Doctor asked, not paying attention to Amy.

"Some of them are catatonic, but they do have firepower." Oswin said

"How do I get past them?" The Doctor asked before looking over his shoulder to see Amy wandering into the room with the Daleks, he ran to her, "Amy!"

"Shhh." Amy said, her voice sounding slurred, "It's OK. It's just people in here. It's just people."

"Amy." The Doctor said fearfully, "It's the nano-cloud, it's altering your perception. Look again, look again - those aren't people." Amy looked again and the Doctor grabbed her hand, "Come with me, take my hand." The Dalek advanced on them, "Run, run!"

"Look, they're coming down!" Amy yelled when The Doctor made it to the ladder.

"Ah, yes, they are!" The Doctor agreed, turning around to see that the Dalek was closer

"Intruder!" The Dalek called

"Run!" The Doctor said, pulling Amy with him to the little niche where he had been talking to Oswin

"Intruder!" The Dalek repeated before he started to shut down, "Intruder!"

"It's damaged" The Doctor said, walking over to the Dalek

"OK, but what do we do?" Amy asked

"Identify me!" The Doctor demanded "Access your files, who am I? Come on, who's your Daddy?"

"You are the Predator." The Dalek said

"Access your standing orders concerning the Predator." The Doctor ordered

"The Predator must be destroyed." The Dalek said

"And how are you going to do that?!" The Doctor asked "Dalek without a gun - you're a tricycle with a roof! How are you going to destroy me?!"

"Self-destruct initiated." The Dalek said

"What's it doing?!" Amy asked, panicked

"It's going to blow itself up and us with it." The Doctor said, "Only weapon it's got left."

"Self-destruct cannot be countermanded." The Daleck informed The Doctor as the Time Lord used his sonic on the Dalek

"I'm not looking for a countermand, dear, I'm looking for reverse." The Doctor said and suddenly the Dalek was rolling backwards, away from Amy and the Doctor

"Forwards, Forwards, Forwards, Forwards!" The Dalek yelled as it was forced back into the room with the other Daleks before promptly exploding.

* * *

 _Rory, we should move_ Rain said after a moment, _Your friends are close and I think the girl's in trouble, her moods are shifting quickly._

"You can sense moods now?" Rory asked as he stood up quickly so that he could get to Amy. They may be in the process of a divorce but Rory was still hell-bent on protecting the love of his life.

 _Recent development, apparently._ Rain told him _You're scared, but we have to keep moving._

Rory picked Rain up and ran out of the room, following the directions the woman was giving him to get to Amy and The Doctor. She had told them they were in the same place. Rory was hoping The Doctor would be able to save Amy.

 _It's the Nano-cloud._ Rain said suddenly, _That's why she's in trouble, the nano- cloud. The Daleks are trying to convert her. And I bet they want to do the same thing to her that they did to Oswin._

"Not really helping," Rory panted.

 _Right sorry,_ Rain apologized, _Take a left._

Suddenly the ground around them shook and Rory had to lean against a wall to keep himself from dropping Rain. He looked around as Rain called to Oswin, trying to get the girls attention.

"Oswin, what was that?" Rory called as he went towards where the blast had come from, "That was close. Oswin?!"

They entered a large room and found that a whole bunch of Daleks blown to pieces. Rory looked around and Rain managed to open her eyes, finally gaining more control of her body, to see the mess that the Doctor had caused.

"What happened?!" Rory asked, "Who killed all the Daleks?"

The Doctor stepped out of the room he was in, carrying Amy, much the same way Rory was carrying Rain. The Doctor grinned at him, seeming not to notice Rain.

"Who do you think?" He said dramatically, stepping through the lingering smoke.

* * *

"Will sleeping help her?" Rory asked as the Doctor laid Amy down on a platform in another room "Slow down the process?"

"You'd better hope so." Oswin called, "Because pretty soon, she's going to try and kill you."

"Amy." Rory said as the woman started to wake up.

"Amy, you're still with us." The Doctor said

"Amy, it's me, do you remember me?" Rory asked, soon Amy reached up and slapped Rory who placed one of his hands over the area, "She remembers me."

"Same old Amy." The Doctor said cheerfully before spinning around to face Rain, who Rory had put on the other side of the platform. "Who is this?"

 _Rain,_ A voice ghosted his mind, startling the Doctor. The voice was followed by a small laugh as Rain made eye contact with the Doctor, _Sorry, didn't mean to startle you._

 _How are you doing that?_ The Doctor asked Rain, speaking to her the same way Rain had spoken to him, _How are you speaking to me like that?_

 _You've never had a telepathic conversation?_ Rain asked, surprised _I would think that a Time Lord would have done this before… You are a Time Lord right?_

"Do you know how you make someone into a Dalek?" Oswin interrupted, not noticing the conversation between Rain and the Doctor, "Subtract love, add anger. Doesn't she seem a bit too angry to you?"

"Well!" Amy said, sitting up, "Somebody's never been to Scotland."

"What about you though, Oswin?" The Doctor asked, not breaking eye contact with Rain, "How come you're OK? Why hasn't the nano-cloud converted you?"

"I mentioned the genius thing, yeah?" Oswin gloated, "I'm shielded in here."

"Clever of you." The Doctor said distractedly

 _There's more to it than that, Doc,_ Rain said, _But I think we should worry about that when we find Oswin._

"Now this place - the Daleks said it was fully automated." The Doctor said after nodding at Rain and lifting himself up, "But look at it, it's a wreck."

"Well, I've had nearly a year to mess with them and not a lot else to do." Oswin said good naturedly.

"A junior entertainment manager, hiding out in a wrecked ship hacking the security systems of the most advanced warrior race the universe has ever seen." The Doctor said walking up to the camera, "But you know what really gets me about you, Oswin? The souffles! Where do you get the milk for the souffles? Seriously, is no one else wondering about that?"

"No." Rory said harshly "Frankly, no. Twice."

 _Yes,_ Rain' voice flitted across his mind, making him smile.

 _How long have you been here?_ The Doctor asked

 _Honestly? I've got no clue. I don't think this is the first time I've woken up, but I don't remember the other times._ Rain told him and the Doctor nodded, _If it helps, I do know how to get to Oswin._

"So, Doctor, I've been looking you up." Oswin commented after a moment "You're all over the Database. Why do the Daleks call you the Predator?"

"I'm not a predator, just a man with a plan." The Doctor said, winking over at Rain who gave him the ghost of a smile.

"You've got a plan?" Oswin asked

"We're all ears." Rory said, throwing out his arms as he squatted by Amy

"There's a nose joke going, if anyone wants to pick that one off." Amy mumbled

"In no particular order, we need to neutralize all the Daleks in this asylum, rescue Oswin from the wreckage, escape from this planet, and fix Rory and Amy's marriage, and find out how Miss Rain over here can communicate telepathically despite being human."

"OK, I'm counting three lost causes, anyone else?" Amy said

"Oswin, there's a Dalek ship in orbit." The Doctor said, ignoring Amy

"Yeah, got it on the sensors." Oswin said, as if that was obvious

 _The Asylum has a force-field._ Rain said _They want him to turn it off. However they're probably gonna burn the world with us still on it._

"How do you know that?" The Doctor asked, turning to Rain, who had her eyes closed

 _Your thoughts are very loud,_ Rain told him, opening her eyes to look at her, _Almost painful, mind turning it down a bit?_

"No they're not." The Doctor said, out loud this time, turning away from Rain and checking to see if his shield was still in place "I happen to have one of the best mental shields in the universe."

 _Apparently not strong enough,_ Rain quipped, _Because it's like you're shouting in my head. There's so much information. Memories, impressions, recollections, oh, those are all synonyms. You've been to so many places. And yet, you're so alone, how come? Oh, Gallifrey, the home planet of the Time Lords, lost and gone forever._

The Doctor turned back to Rain to see that she was crying. He hated when people did that. Even after over 1000 years of life he still didn't know how to properly deal with an emotional human. He turned away from Rain and faced Oswin's camera again. The danger to his companions was more important than figuring out Rain.

"So, Oswin, my question is this." The Doctor said, feeling a small wave of understanding coming from Rain, "How fast can you drop the force-field?"

"Pretty fast." Oswin said, "But why would I?"

"Because this is a teleport, am I right, Oswin?" The Doctor said, gesturing to the area that Rory, Amy and Rain were in

"Yeah." Oswin agreed, "Internal use only. I can boost the power, though, once the force-field is down, and we can use this to beam us right off this planet."

"But you said, when the force-field is down, the Daleks will blow us up." Rory complained

"We have to be quick." Oswin said, worried that they wouldn't make it out on time.

"Fine, we'll be quick, but where do we beam to?" Amy asked

 _The only place within range._ Rain said, getting everyone's attention, _The Dalek ship._

"Where they exterminate us on the spot." The Doctor continued

"This is the kind of escape plan where you survive four seconds longer?" Amy questioned angrily

 _What's wrong with four seconds?_ Rian asked, _You can do lots in four seconds. I could probably calculate the mass of the Asylum in four second._

"Oswin!" The Doctor called, ignoring Rain, even though he was impressed, "How fast can you drop the force-field?"

"I can do it from here." Oswin said, "As soon as you come and get me."

"No, just drop the force-field and come to us." The Doctor commanded

"There's enough power in that teleport for one go." Oswin said, "Why would you wait for me?"

"Why wouldn't I?" The Doctor asked, getting closer to the camera.

"No idea, never met you." Oswin said with a shrug, "Sending you a map so you can come get me."

 _This place is crawling with Daleks._ Rain told them, before addressing only the Doctor, _Be careful, you're not gonna like what you find._

"Yeah." Oswin replied, not hearing the second part "Kind of why I'm anxious to leave. Come up and see me sometime."

"So?"Rory asked as he followed to where the Doctor was working, "Are we going to go get her?"

"I don't think that we have a choice." The Doctor said, before getting into his 'saving the world' mode, handing Rory a device for the teleporter "OK, soon as the force-field is down, the Daleks will attack. If it getting too explody-wody in here, you go without me, OK?"

"And leave you to die?" Rory asked

"Oh, don't worry about me," The Doctor said, "You're the one beaming up to a Dalek ship to get exterminated."

 _Fair point, love this plan._ Rain quipped sarcastically, _Great plan, best I've seen._

"What about Amy?" Rory asked

 _Keep her remembering, keep her focussed, that'll hold back the conversion._ Rain said, taking the words from what the Doctor was thinking, surprising the man.

"What do I do?" Amy asked, trying very hard not to get upset with the Doctor and Rain

"You heard what she said." The Doctor reminded, "They're subtracting love. Don't let them."

With that the Doctor left the three others.

* * *

"Emergency, emergency!" The Daleks were calling as The Doctor made his way to where Oswin was "We are the Daleks! We are the Daleks! We are the Daleks"

 _Having fun?_ A voice sounded in his head, startling the Doctor

 _Seriously, how the hell do you do that?_ He asked, trying to calm his heart rates, well as much as he could in his situation.

 _I don't know, Doctor._ Rian told him, _I don't know who I am, I can't even control my own body, and believe me, I've been trying._

 _Well, once we've got the Daleks figured out, we'll help you._ The Doctor told her, _Why is your voice not fading with the distance?_

 _You're not even that far from us, Doctor_ Rain scoffed, _My mind isn't so weak that a few thousand feet can weaken the connection._

 _You remind me a lot of someone I know,_ The Doctor said, _I'm surprised she's not here._

 _Who is she?_ Rian asked, curious about the woman.

 _She's amazing, she understands me like no one has been able to,_ The Doctor said, happily recalling his best friend, _I miss her when she's not here._

 _You obviously care for her,_ Rain said, _She must be one special girl._

 _That she is,_ The Doctor agreed.

* * *

"OK." Rory said, as Rian kept track of The Doctor's progress, "Look at me. I'm going to be logical. Cold and logical, OK? For both of our sakes, for both of us, I'm going to take this off my wrist and put it on yours."

"Why?" Amy asked, grabbing Rory's wrist to stop him, :It'll just start converting you, that's not better."

"Yeah." Rory conceded, "But it buys time. Because it'll take longer with me."

"Sorry, what?!" Amy asked, pulling her arm away

"It subtracts love." Rory reminded, "That's what she said."

"What's that got to do with it?" Amy questioned, "What does that even mean?! It's just arithmetic."

"It'll take longer with me, because we both know, we've both always known Amy, basic fact of our relationship is that I love you more than you love me." Rory told her, "Which, today, is good news, because it might just save both of our lives."

"How can you say that?" Amy asked, hurt.

"2000 years waiting for you, outside a box." Rory told her, "Saying it because it's true, and since you know it's true, give me your arm. Amy!"

"Don't you dare say that to me." Amy yelled, after slapping Rory "Don't you ever dare!"

"Amy, you kicked me out!" Rory yelled, finally distracting Rain from her conversation with The Doctor

"You want kids!" Amy said beginning to tear up, "You have always wanted kids, ever since you WERE a kid! And I can't have them."

"I know." Rory said sadly

"Whatever they did to me at Demons Run, I can't ever give you children." Amy told him, "I didn't kick you out.I gave you up."

"Amy I don't-" Rory started before the Scottish woman interrupted him

"Don't you dare talk to me about waiting outside a box, because that is nothing Rory, nothing compared to giving you up!" Amy told him harshly, tears starting to run down her face.

"Just give me your arm, let me put this on you." Rory said, reaching for her arm

"No get off me!" Amy struggled to move away from Rory

"Just give me your arm!" Rory yelled

"DON'T TOUCH ME" Amy nearly growled before Rory lifted her arm to show her the bracelet that was on her wrist

"It's the Doctor's. When you were asleep, he must've" Rory started but he was stopped by Amy

"Time Lord." She interrupted, "What's the use betting he doesn't even need it."

"Then why didn't he just tell us?" Rory yelled in frustration.

* * *

 _They found the bracelet and the sexual tension in this room has just risen 300%,_ Rain said, startling the Doctor again, _if they start making out I am not responsible for the mess my stomach makes on the floor._

 _Oh, well, that's one part solved then._ The Doctor answered. _I thought you couldn't control your body._

 _I can't._ Rain said, _But that means I'm doubly not responsible._

The Doctor just smirked before focusing on finding Oswin. The lives of his companions were what he needed to be trying to save right now.

"Oswin?" The Doctor called, watching the Daleks he was passing warily "I think I'm close."

"You are." Oswin replied, "Less than 20 feet away. Which is the good news."

"OK." The Doctor replied as he neared the door, "And the bad, which I suddenly feel is coming"

"You're about to pass through intensive care." Oswin told him

"And what's so special about this lot then?" The Doctor asked

"Dunno." Oswin said with what he imagined was a shrug, "Survivors of particular wars. Spirodon. Kembel. Aridius. Vulcan. Exxilon. Ringing any bells?"

"All of them." The Doctor said with a shudder

"Yeah?" Oswin asked, "How?"

"These are the Daleks who survived me." The Doctor said as the door opened to reveal Daleks wrapped in chains.

Some of the Daleks were chanting Doctor, while others were chanting Rain.

 _Why my name?_ Rain asked, _I- I… Is Rain even my name?_

"That's weird." Oswin said, not hearing Rain's comment, "Those ones don't usually wake up for anything."

"Yeah, well - special visitor." The Doctor said, not knowing how to respond to Rain, and also trying to focus on not being killed by Daleks.

"OK, door, but it won't open." The Doctor said, trying to get the door open with his sonic

"You can't be far away though" Oswin said before trying to get the door open from her end, "Hang on, not quite sure - there's a release code, let me, let me just... Anything happening out there?"

"No." The Doctor said, panicking as the Daleks continued to chant both his name and Rain's.

"Hang on, I'm trying a thing." Oswin said

"Oswin, get this door open!" The Doctor panicked as the Daleks got closer "Oswin open this door!"

"I can't!" Oswin yelled

They were getting closer to him.

"Oswin! PLEASE, GET THIS DOOR OPEN!"

"Doc tor, Rain" They were only two feet away

"OSWIN! OSWIN! PLEASE, GET THIS DOOR OPEN! HELP ME!"

"Doc tor Doc tor" They were right next to the Doctor now, the suction cup was only inches from his face and getting closer.

"Oh, that is cool."

Suddenly the Daleks stopped moving. They turned and left the Doctor alone, much to the Time Lord's dismay.

"Tell me I'm cool, chin boy." Oswin demanded

"What did you do?" The Doctor asked

"Hang on, I think I've found the door thingie" Oswin said, ignoring the Doctor

"No, tell me what you did!" The Doctor demanded again, louder this time

"The Daleks, they have a hive mind." Oswin explained, "Well they don't, but they have a telepathic web."

"The Path Web, yes." The Doctor confirmed

"I hacked into it." Oswin said, much to The Doctor's surprise, "Did a master delete on all the information connected with the Doctor and Rain."

"You made them forget me?" The Doctor asked before adding as an afterthought, "and Rain?"

"Good, eh?" Oswin asked, wanting the Doctor's approval, "And here comes the door!"

"I know someone who's tried hacking the Path Web." The Doctor said, impressed, "Even she couldn't do it."

"Come and meet the girl who can." Oswin said, happy to be more impressive than the Doctor's friend.

"Hey!" The Doctor said as he nearly fell through the door he was leaning against

"You're right outside, come on in." Oswin said as the Doctor caught himself and stepped into the room

"Oswin we have a problem" The Doctor said, wringing his hands upon seeing that the sole occupant of the room was a Dalek

 _Told you that you weren't going to like it._ Rain's voice said, this time not startling the Doctor

"No, we don't!" Oswin argued, "Don't even say that. Joined the Alaska to see the universe, ended up stuck in a shipwreck, first time out. Rescue, me chin boy, and show me the stars."

"Does it look real to you?" The Doctor asked

 _Careful Doc, she is a Dalek._ Rian warned

"Does what look real?" Oswin asked

"Where you are right now." The Doctor asked, trying not to upset Oswin, "Does it seem real?"

"It IS real." Oswin said, her voice sounding like a Dalek's to everyone but her.

 _It's a dream, Oswin._ Rain said carefully, _You dreamed it for yourself, because the truth was too terrible._

"Where am I? Where am I? Where am I?" Oswin asked, her voice repeating just as a Dalek's would

"Because you are a Dalek." The Doctor said

"I am not a Dalek! I am NOT a Dalek! I'm human." Oswin argued

"You were human when you crashed here." The Doctor told her, "It was you who climbed out of the pod - that was your ladder."

"Where am I? Where am I? Where am I? I'm human" Dalek- Oswin asked

"Not any more." The Doctor said, " Because you're right, you're a genius. And the Daleks need genius. They didn't just make you a puppet, they did a full conversion."

"Where am I? Where am I? Where am I?!"

"Oswin, I am so sorry. But you are a Dalek." The Doctor said

 _The milk, Oswin._ Rain said, _The milk and the eggs for the souffles, where, where did it all come from?_

"Eggs." Dalek- Oswin said "I'm human I am not a Dalek I am human, I am not Dalek. I am human! Eggs."

"It wasn't real." The Doctor said, "It was never real."

"I am a Dalek! I am a Dalek! Eggs term in ate." Dalek- Oswin said

"Oswin?" The Doctor asked, worried

"Eggs term in ate Exterminate! Exterminate!"

"No, no, no, Oswin, Oswin listen Oswin!" The Doctor called, "You don't have to do this! "

"EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!"

"Oswin! Oswin!" Both the Doctor and Rain called

"Why do they hate you so much?" Dalek- Oswin asked, no longer trying to kill The Doctor "They hate you so much. And Rain too, Why?"

"I fought them." The Doctor said, "Many, many times."

 _I haven't done anything yet, but I'm sure I will._ Rain said, piquing the Doctor's interest.

"We have grown stronger in fear of you" Dalek- Oswin told them

"I know." The Doctor said sadly, "I tried to stop."

"Then run." Dalek- Oswin said

"What did you say?" The Doctor asked

"I've taken down the force-field." Oswin told him, "The Daleks above have begun their attack. Run!"

"Oswin?" The Doctor started "Are you-"

"I am Oswin Oswald." Oswin said, "I fought the Daleks. And I AM human. Remember me."

"Thank you!" The Doctor called

"Run! Run, you clever boy and remember"

* * *

"How long can we wait?" Rory asked

"The rest of our lives." Amy said, holding Rory's hand

"Agreed!" Rory said before kissing Amy

"Right, go, let's go!" The Doctor said, finally making it to the rest of the group "We're good, let's go!"

 _Oh, for God's sake!_ Rain said, watching the Doctor stop by Amy and Rory, _They've been doing this for hours, I swear._

* * *

"The Asylum is destroyed." The Dalek hybrid said, "Incoming teleport from Asylum planet."

"We are under attack." A Dalek called

"Prepare to defend! Defend! Defend! Explain, Dalek Supreme."

"You know, you guys should really have seen this coming." The Doctor called, stepping out of the Tardis that the group had teleported to "Thing about me and teleports, I've got a really good aim. Pin-point accurate, in fact. Or to put it another way Suckers!"

"Identify yourself!" A Dalek called

"Identify! Identify!"

"Well, it's me!" The Doctor said, "You know me! The Doctor! The Oncoming Storm? The Predator?"

"Titles are not meaningful in this context." The Dalek secretary said

"Doctor who? Doctor who? Doctor who?" The Daleks called

"Oh, Oswin." The Doctor said, "Oh, you did it to them all! Oh, you beauty!"

"DOCTOR WHO? DOCTOR WHO?"

"Fellas - you're never going to stop asking." The Doctor said before re-entering the Tardis as the Daleks continued to ask the only question in the universe that no one knew the answer to.

"Okay, Daleks are dealt with, Amy and Rory's marriage has been fixed, now onto Rain." The Doctor said, walking over to where the woman was laying on the jump-seat.

 _Hello, Doctor._ Rain said, _She'll be here soon, I'm sure._

 _Who will?_ The Doctor asked

 _Chris._

"I never told you her name." The Doctor said, this time out loud.

 _She is me as I am her._ Rain said, _We are one and the same. She is the clouds, as I am The Rain. Well, Kinda._

"What do you mean?" The Doctor asked, "Rain, tell me what you mean."

 _It is too soon for you to know, but the time will come when the question is asked._ Rain said, she could feel a burning in her body and was finally able to smile at the Doctor, _She is coming._

And with that, Rain was engulfed in a bright light. When the light cleared, she was gone.

* * *

 _A/N: Let me know what you think._

 _The next chapter is going to be a little shorter._

 _I know I said something about changing to first person after this chapter... well, I lied. I'm rewriting the next part of the story to continue in third person. Because it may take me longer to get the next chapter out. As a result I'm writing a little filler that I should have out by December 6th._

 _-Ryn_

 _P.S._

 _Sorry this was late. The train was so relaxing that I fell asleep. and my laptop was dead on the way back home._


	5. Time Scoop

A bright white light surrounded Rain and the next thing she knew she was plunged into absolute darkness. She had been in absolute darkness before but that darkness had been stifling. The darkness she was in now was comforting. If she had to describe what it felt like to be in a womb she would describe how she felt in the dark space she was in. Comforted, safe, loved.

She suddenly felt another presence and wasn't surprised by who it was. Towards the end of her time with the Doctor she had Known that Chris coming, although she wasn't too sure as to who Chris was.

She's gotten glimpses of the girl, a young woman, mid twenties. She was pale with long black hair and gray eyes. Rain had noticed that the girl was skinny and tall, almost reaching 5'10 inches. She was wearing a pair of black skinny jeans with a red button up tucked into it, black booties with 3 inch heels, and a green knit beanie.

Rain was sad for the woman. She was getting glimpses of what she had gone through before showing up in the void. What her ex boyfriend had done to her, her mom, her brother, her dad. She could feel the pain the young woman had gone through.

There was a searing pain and the sound of someone screaming as Rain was forced into Chris' mind. She'd known it was going to happen but it had still been a surprise. Now she was tucked into a corner of the human's mind, it was comfortable there, similar to the void, but still, not exactly where Rain wanted to be.

What felt like years later but could have been seconds the woman, Chris, started to wake up. Rain could feel everything Chris was doing and feeling but she couldn't control anything. She no longer had that part of her brain.

"What?" Chris said, looking around the space she was in, "Where the hell am I? Am I- Am I dead?"

 _No._

"If I'm not dead where am I?"

 _The void._

"Like, in Doctor Who?" Chris asked, "That void?"

 _What is Doctor Who?_

Chris started to explain what Doctor Who was when she was interrupted by the voice

 _No, don't explain it, just think about it._

So Chris thought about everything she could remember from Doctor Who, which was a lot. Chris and Mike were both obsessed with the show and would rewatch seasons at a time. Chris had also recently started to watch Classic Who too.

 _Exactly that void,_ Rain told the girl.

"How did I get here?" Chris asked

 _As far as I can tell it was a trans-dimensional spacial time scoop._ Rain said, only serving to confuse the woman.

"This is the weirdest dream I've ever had." Chris said absently.

 _You're not dreaming._ Rain said as everything around the two started to turn white, _In fact, I think you're waking up._

* * *

 _A/N: I got it done early! I don't know why but this thing took forever to do. I finished the two chapters that happen after this before I finished this. Anyways, to celebrate the start or December and the fact that I just bought a cello, I bring you a new chapter!_

 _-Ryn_


	6. Introducing: Chris Wesley

**Closing Time**

For Chris Wesley, the worst part of waking up was not knowing where she was. It was a common occurrence, she had vivid dreams that seemed to carry over into reality. What was even worse was not know where she was even when she was completely awake. The last thing she remembered was nearly getting in a car wreck with her best friend, Mike.

She knew she wasn't in the hospital. The lights weren't the harsh white that seemed to be a constant in hospitals. There also wasn't the smell of disinfectants giving her a headache. She'd spent countless hours in the hospital in the past.

The most recent visit had been when she was in high school. She'd been riding her bike down a hill near her dad's house with her brother and had lost control. She had been going too fast when the brakes had locked and had crashed into a tree.

Chris had gotten a massive concussion to accompany a hairline fracture on the right side of her skull. She'd barely avoided nerve damage on the right side of her head. She had also sustained a gash on her left knee that had needed five stitches, three on her right forearm, and two on her lower back. To go along with that she'd broken her left arm, jammed her thumb on the same arm, and torn a tendon in the same wrist.

As a kid Chris had spent countless hours at the hospital. Her twin brother had been diagnosed with cancer when they were six and Chris has spent as much time with him as she could while he went through Chemo. She knew hospitals very well by now. And in her experience they were all the same.

Which was why she instantly knew that she wasn't in a hospital. She still had no idea where she was and was just about to get up to find out when there was a knock on the door. She instantly closed her eyes so that whoever it was would think she was still asleep when they walked in.

"Chris?" A male voice that sounded very British said from the other side of the door. Chris vaguely recognized the voice, but she couldn't place it. "You awake?"

Chris didn't answer and after a moment the door opened and someone walked into the room. She heard whoever it was set something down on what must have been the end table before leaving the room again.

As soon as the door was closed Chris sat up and looked over to see a bowl of fruit on the table. Chris grinned and went to pick it up before getting suspicious. Only Chris' family and Mike knew that she liked fruit for breakfast. She didn't have a lot of friends and other than Mike she wasn't really that close to any of the ones that she did have.

Chris felt her stomach growl and looked at the fruit with envy before giving into her body's desires. She could figure out how this British person knew she liked fruit, or if she was completely over-reacting and all British people had fruit, after she had eaten.

She had just finished eating when there was another knock on the door. Chris figured that whoever it was would know she was awake when they saw the empty bowl so that ruled out pretending to be asleep again.

"Chris, you awake yet?" The voice from earlier asked. She didn't respond, hoping that the man would go away.

Chris was utterly confused when the door opened to reveal a familiar figure. She wasn't quite sure recognized the man from but she was sure it would come to her soon.

"Who are you?" She asked, wincing as her voice wavered a little. If she was honest with herself, and honesty was one of her best features, then she had to admit that she was terrified. But Chris didn't want this strange man in the strange room, that was probably part of a strange house, to know that.

"You've never met me before, have you?" Craig asked, looking disappointed, "You told me this would happen at some point."

"Did I?" She asked sarcastically "When was that."

"Your future my past, complicated story." The man said said with a chuckle, "I see you ate the fruit."

"Look, strange British man, I have no idea what you're talking about." Chris said, trying to sound threatening from her spot on the bed. Which obviously wasn't succeeding when the man laughed.

He was about to speak again when a baby started crying from another room. He inhaled deeply before exhaling slowly through his nose then left the doorway to go to a room down the hall.

Chris took this opportunity to get out of the place. She wasn't going to stay in the strange house with a man she did not know. Even if the man was familiar and looked like he couldn't harm a fly. Chris had learned that you couldn't judge a man based on their looks.

She got out of the bed silently and nearly stepped on a bag that looked exactly like the one she owned. She grabbed the bag and made her way out of the room. She turned towards where she saw stairs and nearly made it to them when a voice stopped her.

"Where're you going?" The man asked and Chris turned to see that he was now holding a baby boy who looked to be about six months old who was crying his head off.

"Out," Chris said backing up slowly towards the stairs, "I have things to do, people to see."

"Watch out" The man suddenly yelled just as Chris' foot hit empty air.

She quickly fell forward so that she wouldn't fall down the stairs and proceeded to smack her arm on a lego, letting out a curse as she did so. Chris sat up with a groan and glared at the lego that had injured her. She gripped her arm and winced as her fingers pressed into a bruise that was already forming.

"Friggin' legos." Chris said, "I'm so glad dad never let us have 'em."

"You okay?" The man said, his voice much closer than Chris had expected, causing her to jump.

"Who are you?" Chris asked for the second, scooting back from the man until she was against the wall. "Why do you sound British?"

"Oh, sorry, I'm Craig and this is Alfie," The man said, looking sheepish, "And we're in England"

"Craig who?" Chris asked, ignoring the fact that he had said they were in England.

"Craig Owens." Craig said, "Making this little guy Alfie Owens." Craig looked at Chris for a moment before asking, "Are you okay?"

Chris was muttering under her breath and had gone as pale as a sheet, making her black hair and grey eyes stand out even more from her already pale complexion. She had her arms wrapped around her stomach and looked like she was about to puke.

"Nope, nope, nope," She muttered, "Just a coincidence, obviously the crash affected me more than I thought. This has to be a dream."

"Chris?" Craig said, making the girl jump again.

"How do you know me?" Chris asked, her eyes wide.

"Uh," Craig said, obviously unsure how to continue, "Oh boy, this is early for you. Let me put Alfie to bed then I'll make you some chai and we can talk"

Chris nodded, no longer looking at Craig. She was fiddling with the ring that was around her right thumb. It was a simple band with a faux diamond that her brother had gotten her for their 15 birthday.

Soon Craig was back from putting Alfie to bed and had led Chris to the kitchen downstairs. She was sitting at the table, reading through the newspaper, a lot calmer than she had been moments before.

She had convinced herself that it was all a dream, because there was no other possibility. She'd read stories where people from her universe had ended up in another universe. But those were just stories, they couldn't possibly be real.

"Here," Craig said, setting a steaming mug in front of Chris who took it gratefully, sipping on the chai tea that Craig had made exactly how she liked it.

"So, how do you know me?" Chris asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Because I've met you before." Craig said, looking at Chris earnestly, "it's how I know you like fruit, and chai, and your ring is from your brother, and you want to be a high school drama teacher."

"Not even Mike knows about that" Chris said with a frown. She was even more convinced now than she was earlier that this was all just a dream.

"I know, but you're the one that told me all of that" Craig said, "my past, your future." He paused for a second, "God I'm rubbish at this, I wish the doctor was here, he would-"

Craig stopped as the sounds of crying floated down the stairs. He looked at Chris in horror and she couldn't help but smile.

"I don't know what to do," Craig said, grabbing his hair.

"You might want to try finding out what's wrong before you panic," Chris said, giving advice that she had been given multiple times in her life.

Craig nodded and went to check on Alfie as Chris turned back to the newspaper. She made it to one of the articles about missing persons and found that everything was exactly the way it had been on Doctor Who. She let out a sigh and put the paper down before picking up her tea.

Craig made his way back downstairs only for Alfie to start crying again.

"I'm rubbish." He said with a frown as his phone started ringing.

"Do you want me to help?" Chris asked, peeking out from the kitchen, "I'm pretty good with kids"

Craig nodded gratefully and then answers the phone. Chris smiled and went upstairs to see what had woken Alfie.

Just after she had gotten Alfie to fall asleep again, by rocking him gently in her arms, there was a knock on the front door. Chris carefully set Alfie down then went to the top of the stairs, where she found that she could see the door but no one would be able to see her.

"I'm coping, I'm coping on my own, I'm coping on my own!" Craig said, throwing the door open and addressing the man who stood there."I'm coping on my own!"

"Hello, Craig!" A man who looked suspiciously like the 11th doctor called in a childish voice "I'm back!"

"She didn't?" Craig said, much to the Doctor's evident confusion . "How could she phone you?"

"How could who phone me?" The Doctor asked, sticking his head in the door, not noticing me watching from the stairs "Nobody phoned me, I'm just here. You've redecorated" The Doctor said, looking around the hall "I don't like it."

"It's a different house, we moved." Craig informed him, perturbed by the Doctor's presence.

"Yes, that's it." The Doctor agreed

"Doctor, what are you doing here?" Craig asked

"Social call." The Doctor lied, "Thought it was about time I tried one out. How are you?"

"I'm fine." Craig said, although he was completely not fine

"This is the bit where I say. "I'm fine, too" isn't it?" The Doctor asked and Craig nodded, "I'm fine, too."

"Good." Craig said as Chris leaned against the wall, surprised at how vivid her dream was, and how accurate.

"Love to Sophie, bye!" The Doctor said, making to leave before the lights flashed. He turned on the spot and walked back towards the house "Something's wrong! On your own, you said." The Doctor pushed past Craig and made his way to the stairs, waving his Sonic around as he went. "But you're not you're not on your own!"

Chris quickly made her way back to the room with Alfie. Picking up the kid and sitting in the rocker that the room had. She started humming quietly to Alfie, both to calm herself down, and to keep the baby asleep.

"Just, shhh!" Craig said, worried that he'd wake Alfie

"Increased sulphur emissions." The Doctor said kicking a clean diaper down behind him as he made his way up the messy stairs, "And look at the state of this place. What are you not telling me?"

"Doctor, please!" Craig begged, "Shhh!"

"No, you shhh!" The Doctor said, starting a shushing war between the two grown men.

"Doctor!" Craig whisper-yelled as the Doctor pushed past him

"Hello, who's in there?" Doctor said, jumping through the door. "Whatever you are, get off this planet!"

"Oh, you've woken him!" Chris said, continuing to rock the now crying child and gently hushing him. Chris didn't even look up at the Doctor.

"What?" The Doctor said, obviously not expecting Chris to be there at all.

"Doctor." Craig said, trying to get the Time Lord's attention.

"What?" He asked again, looking like he had gone into shock.

"Hello?" Craig said, waving a hand in front of the Doctor's face, making Chris, who was watching now, laugh.

"What?"

"They always come in threes, don't they Doc," Chris said before Alfie was suddenly taken from her arms and handed to Craig and she was enveloped in a tight hug.

"What are you doing here?" The Doctor asked, "I thought I asked you to stay with the Ponds."

"Uh…" Chris said, surprised and uncomfortable with the hugging, "Yeah um, what's with the, uh, hugging thing. Not a fan of the hugging thing."

The Doctor quickly let go, leaving his hands on her shoulders as he looked at Chris, "Oh, this is early, this is very early, isn't it?"

"What do you mean, early?" Chris asked, "Craig said the same thing, what does that mean?"

"Oh, Chris." The Doctor said, sounding sad. Chris didn't like that sound. The Doctor shouldn't be sad. His demeanor quickly changed as he turned to Craig, "So when you say on your own-"

"Yes, I meant on my own with the baby, yes." Craig said, "Well, until Chris showed up in my living room… again."

"Again?" Chris mumbled as she started to play with her ring again.

"Cos no-one thinks I can cope on my own." Craig said as Alfie continued to cry, "Which is so unfair. Because I can't cope on my own with him!" Alfie only started to cry louder, "I can't. He just cries. All the time. I mean, do they have off-switches? Human beings."

"Oh, you two are such men." Chris said, taking Alfie from Craig and gently rocking him as she led the two dolts to the kitchen, "They can sense fear you know." She felt much better when she had something else to focus on. '

"Really?" Craig asked, looking at Alfie in awe.

"No, you dolt, he's hungry." Chris said, before instructing Craig on how to make a bottle, despite the man's protests that he already knew how. Chris handed Alfie to Craig. Once Alfie was fed Craig put him in his highchair and he started crying again.

Chris gestured for the Doctor to go over to Alfie, putting her finger to her lips, indicating that he should shush the young child. The Doctor nodded and shushed Alfie, causing him to calm down immediately.

"Can you teach me to do that?" Craig asked.

"Probably not." Chris said with a smirk.

"Oh, please come on, I need something, I'm rubbish at this." Craig said dejectedly,

"At what?" The Doctor asked standing up and moving around the room to dispel his excess energy.

"Being a dad." Craig told them, "You read all the books, they tell you you'll know what to do if you follow your instinct. I have no instinct! That's what this weekend's about, trying to prove to people I can do this one thing well."

"There's not actually a manual on being a father," Chris said, patting Craig on the shoulder, "It's not like putting together a shelf, you learn from your mistakes and get better as you go."

"So what did you call him?" The Doctor asked, "Will I blush?"

"No, we didn't call him 'the Doctor'!" Craig said, causing Chris to laugh at the Doctor's pout

"No, I didn't think you would." The Doctor said, looking at the woman with a frown.

"He's called Alfie." Craig explained "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Yes, he likes that, Alfie." The Doctor said, not answering Craig's question, "Though personally he prefers to be called Stormageddon, Dark Lord Of All."

"Sorry, what?" Craig asked, looking between the Doctor and Chris in confusion.

"That's what he calls himself." The Doctor said, looking up from Alfie

"How do you know that?" Craig asked, dumbfounded

"He speaks baby." Chris said with a grin, figuring that she might as well enjoy this dream that she was having.

"Of course he does!" Craig cried, throwing his arms into the air, "I don't even know when his nappy needs changing. I'm the one supposed to be his dad."

"Oh, yeah." The Doctor said, "He's wondering where his mum is?" He looked at Craig "Where is Sophie?"

"Gone away with Melina for the weekend." Craig explained, "Needs a rest."

"No, he's your dad, you can't just call him 'Not-Mum'." The Doctor said, looking at Aflie, who was giggling.

"Not-Mum?" Craig asked, offended.

"That's you." The Doctor told him, "Also, Not Mum, that's me. And Almost-Mum is Chris over here. And everybody else is "peasants."

"That's a bit unfortunate." Chris said with a grin at Alfie

"What are you here for?" Craig asked, looking between the Doctor and Chris.

"I woke up here," Chris said with a shrug

"I just popped in to say hello." The Doctor said moving to the kitchen counter and picking up an abnormally large salt shaker before setting it down and moving around to a chalk board.

"You don't do that." Craig said, "I checked upstairs when we moved, it's real. And next door, they're humans. Is it the fridge? Are there aliens in my fridge?"

"I just want to see you, Craig!" The Doctor said earnestly and Chris raised an eyebrow at him, "Cross my hearts. I've been knocking about on my own." He gave Chris a sad look that only served to confuse her "A farewell tour. One last thing, popping in to see you, then I'm off to the Alignment of Exedor."

"The Alignment of Exedor?" Craig asked

"Meant to be spectacular, I can't miss it. Literally can't." The Doctor said with a grin, "It's locked in a time stasis field, I get one crack at flying my TARDIS straight into it, if I get my dates right." He picked up a newspaper to check the date "Which I have."

"Sounds nice." Craig quipped sullenly

"So this is me popping in and popping out again." The Doctor continued, as if Craig hadn't spoken, flicking through the paper "Just being social, just having a laugh." He sets the paper down suddenly and glances at Chris sheepishly."Never mind that."

"Never mind what?" Craig asked, looking at Chris but sheI only shrugged.

"Nothing." The Doctor said, as Chris grabbed the paper to look at it.

"No, you noticed something." Craig said, "You've got your noticing face on. I have nightmares about that face."

"Nope, given up all that, done with noticing things." The Doctor said, and the lights flickered , "Didn't even notice that. Got to go. Good seeing you, Craig. Goodbye, Stormageddon. Come along Chris." The Doctor grabbed Chris' hand but she backed up a step, pretending not to notice the hurt look he sent her.

"I, uh, actually quite like it here at the moment." Chris said glancing over at Alfie as he started to cry.

"No, wait, wait, could you do the shushing thing?" Craig asked, afraid the Doctor was going to leave again

"No, it only works once, and only on life forms with underdeveloped brains." The Doctor explained, "Come on, Chris."

"Hang on, you said farewell tour?" Craig said as Chris shook my head at the Doctor. She didn't care if this was a dream, She did not like people bossing her around, "What do you mean, farewell"

"Ssh" The Doctor said making it so that Craig was unable to speak. He looked at Chris and she shook her head, unwilling to follow him. The Doctor nodded with a sad smile but Chris could see the hurt in his eyes.

The Doctor quickly made his way out of the house and I let out a sigh before handing Alfie back to Craig.

"You're gonna follow him?" Craig asked, "I thought you were staying."

"I hurt him," Chris said, confused, "I want to know why."

"Chris," Craig said, placing a hand on her shoulder, causing her to tense, "Sorry," He removed his hand, "You and the Doctor are close in the future, I don't think he know's how early this is for you."

"Early? What do you mean early?" Chris asked, backing towards the door, "This is a dream, wouldn't that make it late?"

Chris turned and ran out the door, looking around for the Tardis. She saw the Doctor shutting the door and called his name, making the timelord exit his ship. Even if Chris thought it was a dream The Doctor was her all time favorite character and she could not live with herself if she hurt him like that.

"I thought you were staying with Craig." The Doctor said sullenly when Chris was in front of him "Seeing as how he's your best friend."

"He isn't." Chris said with a small frown

"What?" The Doctor said, stepping closer, making Chris step back a little to maintain the space.

"He's not my friend... yet." Chris reiterated, "Technically you're not my friend yet either. I may be yours but I don't actually know you yet. I'm sorry."

"Oh Chris," The Doctor said, looking like he wanted to hug her, "you have nothing to apologize for, I shouldn't have overreacted."

"That was overreacting?" Chris asked, "Getting hurt when someone you're friends with doesn't respond the way you're used to is overreacting?"

"I- I guess not." The Doctor said with a sheepish smile "But y'know, this explains a lot."

"Huh?" Chris said

"Spoilers, sorry." The Doctor said and Chris let out a groan, "You're the one who taught me that."

"Spoilers." She said with a grin, causing him to roll his eyes. "Okay, so, what next?"

"There's a department store that's losing power and we need to check that out." The Doctor said with a grin, "I'm glad you're here Chris. I need a friend right now. I didn't think I did but-"

"Doc, it's aight."Chris said with a sad smile, "I understand, really, I do."

The Doctor chuckled and finally opened the door to the Tardis, letting Chris inside and frowning when she just stood there. She was looking at the blue police box as if it was the first time she had seen it.

"Oh my gosh, it's the Tardis." Chris said with a grin, rushing to the old box. She placed a hand on the box and thought to it, hoping that it would work. _Oh, hello you sexy thing._

 _Chris, hello!_ Chris heard in her head and she couldn't help but laugh. _Oh, you're so young._

"Oh, that is brilliant, absolutely brilliant." Chris said, turning to look at the Doctor who was watching with a soft smile. "Doctor, have I told you before that the Tardis is brilliant, if not then I need to remember to say it more often."

"You tell me she's brilliant so often I think you have a crush on her." The Doctor said with a chuckle.

"What if I do?" Chris asked with a smirk as the door she was leaning on opened suddenly causing her to fall back into the Tardis. _Rude._

 _Sorry, but he get's jealous when you mention your crush on me._ The Tardis said and Chris laughed as she looked up to see the Doctor standing over her.

"You okay down there?" He asked with a grin.

"Brilliant." Chris said before standing up and turning to actually get a good look at the Tardis. "Oh, she is gorgeous."

"Yeah, I've heard," The Doctor said sarcastically, "Anyways-"

"Oh, no you don't, she told me you get jealous." Chris said, turning on the Doctor, startling him a little, "This is my first time here though, so you're gonna give me time to marvel at her, aight?"

"Okay," The Doctor said, before walking past her to go to the console, "I'll just be over… Wait, your first time?"

"Yeah, you deaf or something?" Chris asked, raising an eyebrow as the Doctor rushed down to her, gripping her shoulders, almost making Chris panic, "Doctor?"

"This is important, Chris," The Doctor said gently, seeming to understand that he was starting to scare her, "You cannot tell me anything about your future knowledge, okay. No matter what I do to force you, which I apologize immensely for, I was young and stupid. Anyways, no matter what, not a peep."

"Doctor," Chris said again, harsher this time, "Let go."

"Chris?" The Doctor asked as she started to tremble, "Oh. I am stupid, I am so very stupid, I am still young and stupid."

Suddenly she was wrapped in a hug and there was a calming presence in her mind. "Breath, Chris, just breath."

"Breathing," Chris said, matching her breaths to his as she listened to his double heartbeats, "breathing."

After a few minutes she was calm again and sitting in the jump seat near the console as the Doctor fiddled with it.

"I'm sorry, Chris." The Doctor apologized, turning to face her. "I'm stupid and forgetful and I haven't been with a younger version of you in a long time and I forget what you were like at first and that you don't trust me yet and-"

"Doctor," Chris said, getting his attention, "It's not your fault."

"I know you don't think that, but I still don't like it. I wish I could go and-" He cut himself off, "Anyways, department store, we're gonna need jobs there. How do you get a job? I've never gotten a job at a department store."

"Too domestic?" Chris asked with a cheeky grin

"Exactly!" The Doctor exclaimed, coming to a stop right in front of her, "too domestic. Like potted plants, and cats." Chris could have sworn he added "and pigs" under his breath but it only confused her so she decided to ignore it.

"Nothing wrong with any of those." Chris said with a shrug, "Well, I'm more of a dog person myself, but cats are alright. I think we're too similar, cats and me, we both dislike people unless we need something, say for instance, adventure."

"You mean to tell me that you only stay because of adventure?" The Doctor asked with mock hurt.

"Well," Chris said drawing the word out into a question.

"Rude" The Doctor quipped before grabbing Chris' hand and drawing her out of the Tardis with a yell, "Time to get jobs!"

"Do you even know where the department store is?" Chris asked with a smile.

"Of course," The Doctor said pulling her away from the Tardis before stopping to look around, completely lost, "Wait, no, I don't."

Chris chuckled before leading him to a nearby store to ask for directions. The store turned out to be a book store and she looked around excitedly before turning to the Doctor who was watching her with a smirk.

"We close in twenty," A voice called from the back as the Doctor and Chris moved further into the store.

"Please, please. Can I just look around for a second?" She asked hopefully.

"The last time I let you look around for a second you ended up forcing us to stay all day." The Doctor said with a grin.

"But that hasn't happened yet!" Chris said, "Come on, you can ask for directions while I look at the books"

The Doctor groaned before releasing her hands and she gave a triumphant shout before quickly heading to the young adult section.

While she was looking around the Doctor went up to the front desk to ask directions to the department store. If her knowledge of the man was correct he was probably making a complete fool of himself.

"Can I help you find anything?" A young woman said behind Chris, making her jump.

"Yeah actually, I need something interesting to read and I have no clue what I'm in the mood for. Do you have any suggestions?" Chris asked with a grin. "I want a surprise today, I think you're just the one to make sure that happens"

"Sure!" She said with a bright smile, "What do you normally read?"

"Anything really, Sci-fi and fantasy, romance, mystery, thriller, all of the above." Chris told her before holding out her hand "I'm Chris, by the way."

"Hannah," She said with a smile, shaking Chris' hand before turning to the shelves to pick up a book. "Okay, so I read this book about a month ago and I absolutely loved it. I have this feeling that you'd enjoy it too."

"Describe it in three words?" Chris asked, " wait, no, five."

"Best read of the week." She said with a grin and Chris couldn't help but laugh.

"I'll take it then." Chris said, holding a hand out for the book.

"Do you even have money," The Doctor said from behind Chris, causing her to startle with a yelp, "Sorry."

"No, I thought you were paying." Chris said with a grin, accepting his apology with a nod

"Why do you always make me pay?" The Doctor whined and Chris just smirked at him with a shrug, "Ugh, fine."

"You don't even know the title of the book." Hannah said, looking between the two of them.

"I don't need to know the title to know it'll be interesting, especially if you picked it out." Chris said with a wink, watching Hannah blush.

The Doctor groaned again and Chris playfully elbowed him before taking the book Hannah offered and going to the front desk. The Doctor paid for the book and they soon found ourselves outside the bookshop on the way to the department store.

"Do you always have to flirt with everyone?" The Doctor whined, "You're nearly as bad as Jack."

"Thanks." Chris said with a grin, "I'm honored that you would think so."

"Hush you," the Doctor said as they stopped at a red light.

Chris watched with a small smile as the Doctor shifted around as they waited for the light to change so that they weren't hit by a car while they crossed the road. When the light changed he took off, nearly pulling her shoulder out of its socket.

"Doctor," Chris hissed in pain, pulling her hand from his, "calm down, the store isn't going to get up and walk away in the time it takes us to walk there."

"Sorry, it's just so slow," The Doctor complained, "how do people go through life at a normal pace, in the right order?"

"Lots and lots of alcohol." Chris said with a grin before walking ahead of him and towards the department store she could now see in the distance.

"Chris!" The Doctor called, jogging to catch up with her. "Get back here"

Chris stopped and waited for the Doctor outside the department store where there was a group of birds pecking at some discarded bread. Chris looked at them wistfully and then sighed.

"I wish I had a camera." Chris said quietly. She loved taking picture and usually had some kind of camera on her. Be it her iPhone camera or the one she used for her job, or her personal camera. She hadn't found the time to worry about it since getting there but now she really wished she had one.

Then again, if this was a dream, which she was beginning to doubt it was, she wouldn't need a camera anyways.

"Let go get ourselves some jobs." The Doctor said, pulling Chris from her thoughts. She grinned and followed the Time Lord into the department store, suddenly wary about everything that was supposed to happen in the next couple days.

* * *

A/N: Look at this! Third person! I hope you enjoy it :) Lemme know what you think, I thrive on reviews.

-Ryn

P.S.- Since the last chapter was super short and I'm in a good mood I decided to post this one. Because I suck at schedules and will hardly ever stick to them... oops.


	7. Introducing: Chris Wesley Part Two

"It goes up-tiddly up, it goes down-tiddly down-down! For only £49.99" The Doctor said, playing with a toy helicopter while surrounded by kids in the toy department where he and Chris had managed to get jobs, solely because of Chris.

"Which I think is a bit steep but then again it's your parents' cash" Chris said, coming up behind the group, earning a smile from The Doctor.

The Doctor continued "and they'll only waste it on boring stuff like lamps and vegetables, yawn!"

"Boring!" Chris said, pushing the Doctor a little, making the young children laugh.

"He appears to be losing control" Chris said, as The Doctor crashed the helicopter into the approaching Craig, who was talking to Sophie on the phone.

"Yeah, love you." Craig said as he was hit in the chest by the toy.

"Oops." The Doctor said, pushing the toy at Chris which She then handed to one of the children "Guys, guys, ladies and gentlemen, while I deal with this awkward moment you go and find your parents/guardians!"

"Try in lamps!" Cheis said, ushering the children off.

"Craig!" The Doctor said awkwardly cheerful as he tried to give Craig a hug

"What the hell are you two doing here?" Craig said, looking between The Doctor and Chris, where Chris was babying Alfie.

"I'm the Doctor," The Doctor said, bringing Craig's attention to his name tag

"And I'm Chris" Chris said with a wave, gesturing to her own name tag

"We work in a shop now. Here to help. They even gave us name tags," The Doctor said, "in case we forget our names, which tends to be a problem for me. Not Chris though, her memory is infallible."

"Doctor," Chris said, pointing to Craig, who was now confused.

"You were leaving the alignment of Exeter, what about that?" Craig asked with a frown, "One chance to see it, you said."

"Well, I was on my way, saw a shop, got a job, you got to live in the moment, Craig." The Doctor said, "Chris helped, of course, couldn't have done it without her."

"Probably would have gotten arrested without me," Chris said, still playing with Alfie.

"Mind Yappy." The Doctor said suddenly, confusing Craig even more

"What?" Craig asked

"Yappy." Chris said, gesturing behind Craig as The Doctor picked up a robot dog, "The robot dog."

"Not so much fun as I remember." The Doctor said with a pout

"K-9 was definitely better" Chris said with a grin looking up at The Doctor and Craig. "You look awful!"

"I haven't slept, have I?" Craig said, "still can't stop him crying. I even tried singing to him last night."

"Yeah, he did mention that he thought you were crying, too." The Doctor said as Chris gave a chuckle "He didn't get a wink."

"Yappy, say goodbye to Craig and Stormageddon." Chris said, taking the dog from The Doctor and making the dog give Alfie and Craig kisses on the cheek, changing her voice so that it was a higher pitch, "Goodbye, Craig, goodbye, Stormageddon."

There was the sound of something scuttling past at the end of the hall that got The Doctor's attention.

"What was that?" The Doctor asked Chris quietly, ignoring Craig, as he moved to investigate

"You're here for a reason." Craig said "You noticed something, and you're investigating it.

It's going to be dangerous and alien."

"It might not be." The Doctor said

"Doctor, I live here, I need to know!" Craig said as the Doctor turned in a circle, ignoring Craig

"No, you don't." The Doctor said, still spinning around

"My baby lives here," Crag argued, making the Doctor stop his spinning, "my son."

"Sheila Clark, went missing Tuesday." The Doctor said, "Atif Ghosh, last seen Friday. Tom Luker, last seen Sunday."

"Why's that not on the front page?" Craig asked, shocked.

"Page one has an exclusive on Nina, a local girl who got kicked off Britain's Got Talent." Chris explained, showing Craig the article, as The Doctor grabbed the stroller and started pushing Alfie towards the elevator "These people are on pages seven, 19, they're far too excited about Nina's emotional journey, which in fairness, is quite inspiring."

"And what else?" Craig asked, following The Doctor

"These funny old power fluctuations which just happen to coincide with the disappearances." The Doctor said after the lights flickered

"That's just the council, putting in new cables." Craig argued

"Isn't it?" The Doctor asked, glancing between Craig and Chris before sonicing the elevator, "Oh, yes, that's it, mystery solved, oh, wasting my time, now you can go home and I can go to Exedor, goodbye, and here's a lift."

"It says out of order." Craig said pointing out the 'danger do not cross' tape on the elevator before looking worriedly at Alfie

"Not any more." The Doctor said removing the tape and entering the lift, "See? Here to help."

"It says, "danger"." Craig argued, even as he followed The Doctor into the lift.

"Yeah, elevators that say danger, not my forte." Chris said, looking at the elevator worriedly, "In fact elevators in general are not my forte. I don't like elevators, I think I'll pass on this part."

The Doctor pulled Chris into the elevator even as she started to protest, threatening to do many things to the Doctor if he didn't let her off. He shushed and she was peeved to find that it worked. She ignored the Doctor's apologetic look and squatted down to play with Alfie.

"Quiet, Stormy!" The Doctor hushed as the little boy began to cry "Oh, all right, there's more." The Doctor leaned in conspiratorially, "Just between you, me Stormy, and Chris, don't want to frighten my punters. Someone's been using a teleport relay, right here in this shop. Missing people last seen in this area. Before you ask, CCTV's been wiped."

"A teleport? A teleport?" Craig asked, "Like a beam me up teleport, like you see in Star Trek?"

"Someone's been using a beam me up Star Trek teleport." The Doctor said, "Could be disguised as anything."

"But a teleport?" Craig asked, "In a shop? That's ridiculous!"

The lights flickered. They were teleported onto the Cyberman ship.

"What was that?" Craig asked, "Was that the lights again?"

"Yes, that's it." The Doctor said, his voice pitched higher than normal "That's all, it's the lights."

"Why did you say that like that?" Craig asked

"Like what?" The Doctor asked, his voice still higher than normal.

"Like that, in that high-pitched voice." Craig said as Chris stood up

"Just look at me, Craig." Chris said grabbing his face after motioning for the Doctor to get to work "Right at me, just keep looking."

"Why?" Craig asked.

"Well, because, because, because" Chris said, repeating herself in panic, "I love you."

Chris heard the Doctor growl behind her, he actually growled.

 _Get to work, lover boy._ A voice sounded in her head, a voice that sounded like hers, except a little deeper, _you too, Chris keep him distracted I'll explain later, when there's time._

"You love me?" Craig asked bringing her attention back to him as The Doctor started to work again.

"Yes, Craig." Chris said, "It's you. It's always been you."

"Me!?" Craig nearly shouted.

"Is that so surprising?" Chris asked, tilting her head, "you are my best friend."

"What about the Doctor?" Craig asked, trying to look at the Time Lord who was still working on the controls. Chris leaned in closer, "are you going to kiss me?"

"Yes, I am." Chris said, puckering her lips comically "Would you like that? Bit out of practice, but I've had some practice."

They were transported back to the department store but not before Craig had noticed they had been teleported.

"Chris," the Doctor said, turning her around with a hand on her shoulder and placing his lips on hers. She panicked and nearly punched him as she tried to get him off of her.

"Chris I'm sorry" The Doctor said as Chris started to back away

"Just… Leave me alone a minute, please, Doctor."

The Doctor looked at her as if she had slapped him and she felt tears prep to fall. Chris turned and ran out of the elevator, making her way to the ladies room, ignoring the looks she was given. She couldn't have people touching her. She'd been too much and had developed a phobia because of it and now she had to initiate contact or else she would start to panic.

 _He doesn't mean to hurt you._ The voice said, _you've been in his life so long that he forgets._

"Who the hell are you?" Chris asked the voice, starting to wonder if she was as mental as people seemed to think she was.

 _Sorry, my name is Rain. You can't tell the Doctor though, he doesn't find out for awhile._

"Tell him what?" Chris asked, wiping at her eyes. I ran into a bathroom stall and closed the lid before sitting down.

 _That I am separate from you,_ Rain said, _he thinks we are the same and it is better that way._

"What do you mean? Who are you?" Chris asked as waves of calm seemed to roll down her body, "are you doing that?"

 _I am. I'm sorry you had no choice on this, my lovely Chris. You are who I would be if I were human._ Rained told her, only confusing Chris more, _I lost my body and you were pulled here to be just that._

"What are you, then?" Chris questioned

 _I'm the mind of a time lord,_ Rain said _time lords are essentially three parts, the mind, the body, and the spirit. I destroyed the body, my spirit is missing, and you are carrying my mind._

"How the hell does that work?"

 _You can speak to me in your mind, you know that, right?_ Rain asked.

 _ **If I knew that do you think I'd be making myself seem like a freak?**_ Chris asked, this time in her mind

 _No, I suppose not._ Rain said, _but anyways. The Doctor is not used to you being this early. He doesn't know your boundaries, even if he knows the reasons._

 _ **If he knew the reasons don't you think he'd show a little more self control?**_ She asked, standing from the seat and dusting herself off.

 _He's an idiot_ Rain said

 _ **That's an understatement**_

Chris walked back out to the hallway leading to the department store before going to find the Doctor.

 _ **Hey, Rain, since you're using me as a host you mind telling the Doctor my boundaries?**_ Chris asked, hoping she could get herself out of this awkward conversation with the time lord

 _On it_. Rain said, making Chris grin.

 _Doc, I have boundaries, y'know that, I know you do._ Chris heard Rain say

 _I know, Chris, I'm so sorry._ A voice that sounded like the Doctor sounded in Chris' mind.

 _This is the second time today, you're lucky I didn't have a full blown panic attack in the middle of the store._

 _I know, I know. I really am sorry._

 _Because this is new for me I'm going to make sure you know my boundaries, okay?_

 _Fine._

 _Good, okay,_

 _1) any and all contact must be imitated by me._

 _2) No pet names of any kind. My name is Chris and only Chris._

 _3) You know that I know more then I can tell, no forcing me to say anything about your future._

 _4) No lying, I know when you are lying_

 _5) I'm early, don't expect things I haven't had the time to feel_

 _6) No forcing me to do anything._

 _Got it?_

 _Yes Ma'am._

 _ **Thanks, Rain.**_ Chris said as she walked up to the Doctor. Who was standing outside with Craig. While Rain and the Doctor had been talking Rain had also been tracking the Doctor, telling Chris where to go.

"Thank you, Doc" Chris said quietly, "I'm sorry I have to have some of those rules but they're necessary"

"No, Chris." The Doctor said meekly, "I shouldn't be forgetting things like that, not when they're so important to you."

"What happened?" Craig asked,

"Well, first of all, I don't really love you, except as a friend." Chris said with an apologetic shrug, pushing her earlier panic to the side and instead focusing on the current situation: The Cybermen.

"What were those things?" Craig asked

"Cybermen." The Doctor said, still looking at Chris, which was making her uncomfortable.

"We were on their ship," Chris added, unsure of how much the Doctor had covered earlier.

 _You can look away any time you want._ Rain said, much to Chris' joy.

 _Sorry._ The Doctor said, looking away.

"Ship?" Craig asked, "Spaceship? We were in space?"

"It's got to be up there somewhere, can't get a fix, it must be shielded." The Doctor said, ignoring Craig and Chris now. Which gave her the opportunity to play with Alfie again.

"Can I pick him up?" Chris asked, as Alfie reached for her. She'd always liked babies and children. She would have loved to be a mother before… well, before.

"What? Huh?" Craig said blankly before looking down to spot Chris in front of Alfie, "ah, yeah, anytime you want. You are his godmother, after all."

"I am?"

"Crap, I wasn't supposed to tell you until Sophie got here." Craig said "she said she wanted to be there when you first found out."

"No, it's okay," Chris said, standing up with Alfie resting on her hip, "I'll pretend I don't know and you two can tell me together."

"Thanks" Craig said with a smile before turning back to The Doctor "You fused the teleport, they can't come back."

"I've just bought us a little time." The Doctor said looking aroung"Still got to work out what they're doing before I can stop it."

"But if they've got the teleport and they're evil, why haven't they invaded already?" Craig asked, which was a very good question, in Chris' opinion. The question seemed not to have occurred to the Doctor before then.

"Craig take Alfie and go." The Doctor demanded

"No!" Craig said almost instantly.

"No?" The Doctor asked, his non existant brows furrowing.

"No, I remember from last time, people got killed, people that didn't know you." Craig said, "I know where it's safest, for me and Alfie. And that's right next to you."

"Is that so?" The Doctor asked

"Yeah, you always win, you always survive!" Craig said

"Those were the days." The Doctor mumbled

 _You're still alive, stop acting like an idiot._

 _Rude_

 _It took years of training to be so good at it, too. Seriously though, you're still alive don't act like such a baby._

 _Can't you be a little nicer when you're trying to make me feel better._

 _No._

 _Thought not._

"I can help you, I'm staying!" Craig continued, not knowing about the conversation Rain and The Doctor were having on Chris' behalf. Craig

"Craig, all right, all right maybe those days aren't quite over yet." The Doctor said and Chris couldn't help but grin at him when he smiled at her. "Let's go and investigate I mean, there's no immediate danger now."

He reached for her hand but didn't immediately take it, giving Chris the option of taking it or not. She grabbed his hand and felt a jolt of glee rush through her body.

 _ **Is that cause of you?**_ Chris asked Rain.

 _Yeah, kinda, sorry. He formed a telepathic bond with me and the emotions are often transported via physical contact._ Rain informed her, sounding sheepish.

 _ **Good to know.**_

* * *

"Hope you don't mind me saying, Doctor, but I think you look ever so sweet, you and your partner and the baby." Val, a co-worker of The Doctor and Chris, said as Craig went off to do his own investigating with Alfie. Chris couldn't help but giggle at this.

"Partner. Yes, I like it." The Doctor said, much to Chris' amusement, the man could be so oblivious "Is it better than 'companion'?"

"Companion sounds old-fashioned." Val told The Doctor "There's no need to be coy these days."

"You've not noticed anything unusual around here lately, Val?" Chris whispered, leaning in, finally wanting to get back to the reason for their investigation.

"Well Yes, yes?" Val said, also leaning in conspiratorially, The Doctor following suit after being elbowed by Chris, "Mary Warnock saw Don Petheridge snogging Andrea Groom outside the Conservative Club on his so-called day off 'golfing'."

"Yeah." The Doctor said, exchanging a look with Chris before turning to walk off as Chris stayed there, "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all."

"And then there's that silver rat thing." Val said and the Doctor turned back with a smile to see that Chris was leaning against the counter with a grin, obviously knowing the Doctor was going to come back to talk to Val.

"A silver rat. Glowing red eyes." Val said, trying to sound mysterious, "Yes, then it zizzed off. I wanted to get one for my nephew, but stockroom say there's no such item."

"I bet they do." The Doctor said, sharing a look with Chris.

"Well, what was it then?" Val asked "Answer me that."

"A silver rat." Chris said sarcastically, earning herself an elbow in the side from the Doctor.

There was suddenly a lot of talking coming from somewhere in the department store. Without even looking at each other Chris and the Doctor took off in that direction as Val called after them

"What's all that hullabaloo?" She asked

"That'd be his partner!" Chris said with a shit-eating grin. Knowing both the Doctor and Val had a misunderstanding about the relationship between The Doctor and Craig.

"He's a pervert, look at him." One of their co-workers was saying as The Doctor and Chris walked up. Chris going straight for Alfie and picking up the child, immediately talking to him about the 'bad man' who happened to be his father.

"Hello, everyone!" The Doctor said "Here to help."

There was a chorus of "Hello, Doctor" from those present. A security guard, two employees, and Craig.

"Has anyone seen a silver rat?" All he received were blank looks, "No, OK. Long shot, I see you've met my friend, Craig."

"Nice uniform George." Chris said with a smile, patting George on the shoulder.

"Thank you, Chris" The old security guard said. "If he's with you, that's all right then."

"I thought he was hassling me, that's the last thing I need." The employee said, "Shona's not turned up, so I'm doing twice the work for the same money."

The Doctor shushed the employ, much to the amusement of Alfie, only to un-shush her and ask who Shona was. They found out that Shona hadn't shown up and that the last place she had been seen was by the dressing rooms.

"How do you do that?" Craig asked as they were walking to check the dressing rooms, "It's a power, isn't it, some sort of weird alien hypnotic power, I bet you excrete some sort of gas that makes people love you."

"Would that I could, Craig." The Doctor said, flinging open one of the curtains, making a woman scream. "Sorry, Madam. I'd try that in red if I were you."

"I'm right though, aren't I?" Craig asked

"You love me, I've never excreted any weird alien gases at you." The Doctor reminded Craig.

"I don't love you! Don't start that again." Craig said, pointing a finger at him accusingly, "I already went through that with Chris.

"Course he does." The Doctor said to Alfie, who was balanced on Chris' hip, before turning to Craig, "You do, we're partners."

"But I did exactly what you would have done, I nearly got arrested!" Craig argued.

"Stormy thinks you should believe in yourself more." The Doctor said, bopping Craig on his nose.

"Great, now my baby is reviewing me." Craig grumbled

"It's a kid's job to review their parents." Chris said, "You'll get used to it."

"I've never asked before," Craig said, regarding Chris carefully, "Are you a mom?"

"Here." The Doctor said, thankfully keeping Chris from having to answer as he threw open the last curtain in the room, "Right here Last night, a Cyberman took Shona."

"A Cyberman I thought it was a little silver rat?" Craig, obviously getting that parenthood was off limits for Chris.

"It's not a rat." Chris said, after she had allowed herself only a moment of sadness.

"It's a Cybermat!" The Doctor finished

"All right don't have a go at me just cos I don't know the names." Craig said, throwing his arms up.

"Cybermats are infiltrators." The Doctor explained while sonicing the room, "Very small, very deadly they collect power like bees collect pollen. One of them's been sucking the electrical energy from this area."

"But why a shop, you know, why not a nuclear power station?" Craig asked

"OK, why?" The Doctor said,

"Let's ask it." Chris grinned, handing Alfie to Craig and looking around the changing room to see two shirts hanging on their hangers and a candy wrapper on the floor. She picked up the candy wrapper to throw away when they were near a trash bin.

"We wait for the shop to shut, we stake the place out, and grab ourselves a Cybermat." The Doctor said pulling Chris out of the room and down the hall.

"And this is just a coincidence, is it?" Craig asked

"What is?" The Doctor asked, stopping and turning to face Craig

"Aliens in Colchester?" Craig said, "Aliens twice in my life, happening to me just when you turn up."

"This is not my fault, Craig." The Doctor said harshly.

"Craig," Chris said calmly, "I'm your best friend, yeah?"

"Yeah?"

"And I'm assuming that because of that you've met the Doctor more than twice, right?" Chris asked, her voice calm and slow, slightly scaring the two grown men.

"Yes?" Craig said, turning the word into a question.

"And there has only been aliens twice, yeah?" Chris said with a grim smile.

"Yeah."

"Then obviously this isn't the Doctor's fault and you should probably apologize for blaming him," Chris said, suddenly becoming chipper, only freaking the men out more, "Try not to be so rude to the man who is trying to save your life and has saved it before."

"Yes, ma'am," Craig said, nearly going to salute her before catching himself, "I'm sorry Doctor, I won't be so rude from now on."

"Thank you" The Doctor said to Craig before turning to Chris with a grin, before continuing loudly "And thank you!"

"Look what you've done," Craig said as Alfie started to cry.

"It's his nappy, he's mentioned it twice." The Doctor said

"I don't speak baby." Craig deadpanned

"There's a changing station over by electrical goods." The Doctor said, pointing to where it would be.

"And of course, you'd know that." Craig muttered sullenly, putting Alfie back in his stroller. "Come on, Alfie."

"Craig it's a coincidence." The Doctor said, referring to Craig blaming him, even though Chris had already cleared that up, "It happens, it's what the universe does for-"

The Doctor looked to the entrance of the shop to see Amy and Rory standing right next to one of Amy's posters. The poster was for perfume that was called "For the girl who waited". Chris grabbed the Doctor's hand, giving it a squeeze, which he returned gratefully, as the two watched a young girl approach Amy to ask for an autograph.

"Can I have your autograph please?" The young blonde asked the tall red-head

"Doc," Chris whispered gently, drawing the Doctor's attention to her, although he seemed reluctant to look away, "I promise it'll be fine."

"How?" The Doctor asked sadly.

"Do you trust me?" Chris asked, honestly unsure.

"With my life." The Doctor said, almost upset that she even had to ask.

Chris smiled, "Then please, just trust me on this, it will be fine."

"Thank you," The Doctor said, leaning his forehead against hers and taking a deep breath before looking to see that Amy and Rory were gone.

"Come on, Doctor," Chris said with a sad smile, "Let's get out of here so that we can have some fish fingers and custard for dinner."

"After we get the cybermat." The Doctor said sternly but with a gleam in his eyes that told Chris he would be fine. Maybe not right then, and maybe not completely, but he would get there.

"You and Craig are gonna get the cybermat and I'm gonna take Alfie home and keep the child safe." Chris said as they found Craig "And make fish fingers and custard for when you get back."

"You definitely know how to woo a man." The Doctor said with a grin, throwing his arm over Craig's shoulders.

* * *

While the Doctor and Craig were off trying to find the cybermat Alfie and Chris were at Craig's house, making dinner together. Chris was given free reign in the kitchen, apparently having proven her culinary skills when she and Craig had first met. She made fish fingers and Custard for the Doctor and enchiladas for her and Craig.

"Y'know, Alfie, I'm starting to think this isn't a dream." Chris complained, sitting down in front of Alfie after putting the fish fingers in the oven "I mean, if this were a dream don't you think I'd have woken up by now?"

Alfie just gurgled, reaching for the bottle Chris was clutching in her hands. She handed it to the kid with a grin, honestly surprised with the babies ability to hold a bottle at his age. Then again, he didn't know how old Alfie actually was.

After all the food was prepared Chris took Alfie into the living room and turned on the tv to watch something while Alfie played in his playpen. She switched the channel to really old reruns of changing rooms, an extremely old home improvement show, that she was surprised was on.

She fell asleep and was only woken by Craig and the Doctor walking in the house. She blinked and looked at the time, surprised that they were back so early. Chris smiled and stood up to stretch before checking on Alfie, who was asleep.

She grinned and went into the kitchen to reheat the food before serving it for everyone. No one spoke until they were all at the table and Chris had to tell The Doctor that he was, in fact, not allowed to work at the dinner table.

"I was hoping that wouldn't be a rule with you this early." The Doctor said with a pout as he put the cybermat down on the counter behind him.

"Nice try," Chris said with a grin, "Now eat your food so you can finish saving the world."

"Yes mum" The Doctor, drawing the word out with a grin.

"Hush," Chris said before digging into her enchiladas.

After everything was cleaned up Craig started to go through to kitchen and prepare a bottle for when Alfie woke up only to find there was no milk.

"I'm going down the shops, we're out of milk." Craig said with a frown, he could have sworn there was a half gallon in there just that morning.

"Oh yeah, sorry." Chris said, "I was gonna take Alfie to get more but I don't have money,"

"It's alright, Chris." Craig said with a grin before turning to the Doctor, "You know what to do if he cries."

"No!" The Doctor protested.

"Me neither." Craig said as he walked out the door, "Just ask Chris."

Since Alfie was asleep Chris and the Doctor decided to take a look at the cybermat. Chris wanted to dismantle it and just as she had convinced The Doctor that it was a good idea Alfie woke up.

Chris sighed, going to pick up the boy but the Doctor beat her to it.

"Let's get your nappy changed," the Doctor cooed as he took Alfie up to his nursery to get him changed.

Chris followed with a smile, leaning against the doorframe and watching the Doctor with a smile. He would make a good father, Chris had known that already. She knew he had been a father before but she hadn't really watched classic who and as such didn't know much about his life on Gallifrey, just that he had a granddaughter.

"Hello, Stormageddon." The Time Lord said when Alfie wouldn't stop crying, "It's the Doctor. Here to help."

Alfie continued to cry as the Doctor rocked him back and forth gently, bouncing him a little.

"Be quiet. Go to sleep. Really, stop crying." The Doctor said, getting a little flustered "You've got a lot to look forward to, you know. A normal human life on Earth. Mortgage repayments, the nine to five, a persistent nagging sense of spiritual emptiness. Save the tears for later, boyo."

The Doctor paused, "Oh, no! That was crabby. No, that was old! But I am old, Stormy. I am so old. So near the end. You, Alfie Owens, you are so young, aren't you? And, you know, right now, everything's ahead of you. You could be anything."

The Doctor spun around when Chris sniffled and she just laughed a little and waved him off. The time lord walked over to Chris and pulled her to the rocker, sitting her down there. She smiled up at him and watched as he continued talking to Alfie.

"Yes, I know." The Doctor said, looking down at Alfie, "You could walk among the stars. They don't actually look like that, you know, they are rather more impressive." He soniced the projector that was projecting stars onto the ceiling to look more like real stars, "Yeah! You know, when I was little like you, I dreamt of the stars. I think it's fair to say, in the language of your age, that I lived my dream. I owned the stage, gave it a 110%. I hope you have as much fun as I did, Alfie."

He looked at Chris with a sad smile, "I hope you find someone like Chris, someone who makes the stars just that much brighter."

"Your dad's trying his best, you know." Chris said, standing up and moving to the Doctor, wrapping an arm around his waist, knowing that the man needed comfort, even if it made her slightly uncomfortable to give it.

"Yes, I know it's not his fault he hasn't got mammary glands." The Doctor said with a watery laugh, "No, but neither do I! Yes, Chris does but you can't use them."

The Doctor stopped talking as he heard something beeping behind the three of them.

"Alfie, why is there a sinister beeping coming from behind me?" The Doctor asked.

They turned to see the cybermat in the door to the room. "This is why I wanted to dismantle it." Chris said as the Doctor soniced the metal rat and the three of them ran around it.

"Oh, no you don't." The Doctor said, grabbing Chris' hand, 'Come on, Alfie, Chris. Run! It's only stunned!"

They made it outside and away from the house where Chris took Alfie from the Doctor and started bouncing him around, keeping the boy distracted, "It's going to be OK. Good, Alfie."

"Doctor, Craig's gonna be back soon, make sure he doesn't go inside." Chris said, still bouncing Alfie, "Don't bother calling him just get over there. I'll be right outside with Alfie.

The Doctor nodded and ran inside the house. Chris waited outside, playing with Alfie and glancing back anxiously at the house as she heard the sounds of a scuffle.

 _You know he's gonna be fine._ She heard Rain say, startling her.

 _ **Yeah, but I'm still gonna worry.**_ Chris told Rain, _**I'm beginning to think this isn't a dream and he's the one who would know the most about that.**_ A pause, _**Unless you know something?**_

 _Nothing I can tell you, Chris. And I only know little more than you._

"Chris, it's safe now." The Doctor called, breaking Chris away from her conversation with Rain, "You and Stormy can come inside."

"Thanks, Doc." Chris said with a grin, seemingly over her earlier worry.

Once inside Chris handed Alfie to his father before putting away the groceries the man had bought. She could feel the Doctor watching her but chose to ignore him, needing to get her thoughts in order first.

"You okay?" The Doctor asked, stepping further into the kitchen, "You're quiet."

"Am I not allowed to be quiet?" Chris asked, harsher than she intended.

"What's wrong?" The Doctor asked, wincing at her tone, "Something wrong and I want to help."

Chris sighed before turning to face the time lord, "I'm starting to think this isn't a dream and it's freaking me out." Chris told him, "But we have more important thing to worry about, like the cyberman invasion of planet earth."

"Nothing is more important than making sure you're okay." The Doctor said, "I've made that mistake before and I swore I'd never do it again."

"Doc," Chris sighed, walking over to the time lord, and taking his hand "I'm fine, I promise. If you know me you know that I'll always put the safety of a child before my own." The Doctor nodded, "And right now, Alfie's in danger, which means we're taking care of that before we take care of whether or not I'm actually dreaming, alright?"

"Alright," The Doctor said with a smile, squeezing her hand then leaving to talk to Craig in the livingroom.

Chris smiled after him and went around the room, gathering ingredients for brownies. Chris had always baked when she was stressed and she wasn't about to let that change now. After getting permission from Craig to use the kitchen whenever she wanted Chris quickly got to work on the treat.

"Do you still feel safe with me, Craig?" Chris heard when she entered the living room after putting the brownies in the over.

"You can't help who your mates are." Craig said with a smile.

"No! I am a stupid and selfish man." The Doctor said, making Chris frown, "Always have been. I should have made you go, I should never have come here."

"What would have happened if you hadn't come?" Chris said, walking up beside the Doctor, "Who else knows about Cybermen or teleports?"

"I put people in danger." The Doctor said sadly, not looking at anyone

"Stop beating yourself up! If it wasn't for you this whole planet would be an absolute ruin." Craig argued.

"Craig, very soon I won't be here my time is running out." The Doctor said and Chris took his hand again, not liking that the Doctor was sad. "I don't mean Exedor. Silence will fall when the question is asked. Don't even know what the question is. Always knew I'd die still asking. Thing is, Craig, it's tomorrow. Can't put it off any more. Tomorrow is the day I…"

The Doctor looked over to see that both Craig and Alfie were asleep. He turned to Chris and she felt her heart constrict to see that he had tears in his eyes, despite the fact that he was smiling. Chris gently tugged her hand from his and threw her arms around the Doctor, giving him a tight hug. He returned the hug, burying his head in her hair and taking a deep breath.

"It's okay Doc," Chris said, her voice quiet, "I swear to you it's okay."

"How can you know." The Doctor asked, pulling back with a frown.

"Because," Chris said, "I've just met you and I already trust you. You should know that I don't trust easily." The Doctor hummed, "But I trust you. I trust you to be okay because the universe still needs you. It needs you to be okay, you need you to be okay. Your companions need you to be okay. I know I just met you and this is crazy…"

She trailed off and the Doctor gave her a look, prompting her to continue.

"Sorry, just got a song stuck in my head," Chris told him sheepishly before continuing, "Anyways, I know I just met you, but I need you to be okay. I'm in a universe that isn't my own and there are threats here that I didn't have. Doc, you're the only person I currently trust in this world, I need you to be okay."

"I'll try my hardest." The Doctor promised, pulling Chris into a hug and grinning when she didn't push him away.

"That's all I can ask." Chris said, feeling slightly uncomfortable in the hug but knowing she couldn't push him away right then, "Now, how about some brownies."

"I'd love some." The Doctor said with a grin as Chris led him to the kitchen.

* * *

Chris woke with a groan and looked around the room. She remembered eating brownies with the Doctor and listening to him talk about a book he had read about baking. She must have fallen asleep at the table and the Doctor must have moved her to the living room, because that's where she found herself.

Chris got up and went into the kitchen, rubbing her neck to get a kink out of it. She looked around at the state the room was in and sighed, knowing it needed to be cleaned.

In her half asleep state Chris was a lot more unobservant than normal, it wasn't until she was halfway through the living room after cleaning the kitchen that she noticed that neither the Doctor nor Craig were there. With a curse Chris quickly grabbed a granola bar and slipped into her shoes that the Doctor must have removed last night too.

The run to the department store took her ten minutes and by the time she made it into the dressing rooms she found that Alfie was alone and Craig and the Doctor were nowhere to be found.

Chris knelt next to the crying boy and grabbed his hand, hoping to calm him down some, and smiled when it worked. She looked to where the teleport and started to mutter under her breath.

"I really hope he doesn't leave me behind again." Chris said with a frown, "This is the boring part, I don't like boring… it's so… boring."

Suddenly the Doctor and Craig were standing right in front of Chris and Alfie. While Craig rushed to Alfie The Doctor winced at the glare that Chris was sending him. She stood up and walked towards him only to stop right in front of him with a grin.

"Guess what you get to do," Chris said, leaning forward to whisper in the Doctor's ear, "Clean Craig's entire house, without my help."

The Doctor winced as Chris turned and walked off with a laugh. He looked to see that Craig was busy with Alfie and followed the 25 year old with his shoulders hunched, not looking forward to cleaning Craig's house.

* * *

On the walk to the Tardis The Doctor explained everything that happened to Chris and she just listened, not putting in any of her usual comments. He stopped her right outside the tardis doors with a frown.

"Are you sure you're alright?" He asked, trying to make eye contact with Chris.

"Yeah, just confused is all." Chris said, she could feel her hands starting to shake "I mean, you've obviously known me for awhile, yeah?" The Doctor nodded, "Does that mean I jump around your timeline?"

"Yeah," The Doctor said slowly, unsure of where this was going.

"Which also means I'm in a different universe, right?" Chris asked, her breath getting heavier.

"Right" The Doctor replied, worried

Before Chris was even able to open her mouth there was a flash of golden-white light and she was gone.

* * *

 _A/N: This was getting really long and I didn't want to split it into three, so here you go. The End of Closing Time. As a holiday gift I will have updates for the other two stories that aren't on hiatus soon too! It's a miracle, I know._

 _-Ryn_

 _P.S. I have a test Thursday but after that I'm practically on break so I should be able to post more!_

 _Please Enjoy!_


	8. The Fires of Pompeii: Part One

Symptoms of time travel without a capsule:

1\. Nausea

2\. Headache

3\. Confusion

4\. Fatigue

5\. Hunger

Although, that last one might have been the result of only eating brownies for dinner and a granola bar for breakfast. Chris wasn't really sure.

But the others? Definitely the time travel.

Chris had woken up in an alleyway disoriented, nauseous, and with a huge headache. It had taken hours for her to be able to move without nearly passing out.

When she was able to move she was surprised to find a brown drawstring bag right next to her. What had been more surprising was the fact that the single pocket was bigger on the inside and organized.

Inside she found a journal, similar to River's except it had her own name on it. There was a necklace, a flashlight, a green knit beanie which was nearly identical to her favorite beanie back home. A little more digging in the bag produce a sandwich, a wristwatch, and a sonic screwdriver that was similar to the 8th Doctor's later in his regeneration. The handle was made out of a dark wood and the gem on top was a dark red that almost looked brown.

Chris spent twenty minutes just looking at the screwdriver. She honestly had no clue how to use it.

The last thing Chris pulled out was a change of clothes with a note attached.

 _Dear Chris,_

 _This is weird. Writing to myself. Doc said it's the only time I'm allowed to cross into my timeline because the event was already established and not doing so would cause a paradox. First of all, this is not a dream, if you can trust anything then trust yourself. Secondly, just by being here things change, use the show as a suggestion, not a law. Third, try not to fight with 12 so much, he cares, it's just hard for him to show that at times._ _D-_ _fourth, your friends and family will survive without you, you'll see. It hurts, I know. Fifth, trust the Doctor. He's not as idiotic as he seems and he is nothing like Devon. Their only similarity is that they both have hair._

 _You'll do fine, trust your instincts, trust the Doc, and most of all:_

 _Have fun, kiddo, it's gonna be a helluva ride._

 _Chris Wesley_

That was weird. That was really, very, extremely weird.

Well, the entire thing was weird and Chris was trying not to panic. She now had proof that this wasn't a dream. She would not feel this shitty if it was. She knew that for sure. Her head was starting to pound again and she felt nauseous. She could feel a panic attack starting and was looking for something to help keep her grounded when she heard a voice at the end of the alley.

"Sunt tibi malum" An older woman said, her voice sounding slightly panicked, and she ran over to Chris.

 _Are you hurt, is what she's asking. Ego non nocere, I am not hurt._

"Ego non nocere," Chris said, her voice catching at the end. The woman shook her head.

"I do not speak Welsh." She said and Chris couldn't help but smile.

"Ah, sorry. I get confused sometimes." Chris said shyly, "Where am I?"

 ** _And why is everything translating?_**

"Oh, sweetie, are you sure you're okay?" The woman asked again, kneeling by Chris and placing a warm hand on her knee.

The woman was everything Chris thought a mother should be and couldn't help but shake her head. There were tears in her eyes and the woman just pulled her into a hug, which Chris gladly returned.

"Do you live near here?" The woman asked and all Chris could do was shake her head. Now that she had started crying Chris found that she couldn't make herself stop. "Why don't you come to my house and we can get you something to eat."

"Thank you ma'am." Chris said, grabbing her things and walking with the woman.

"Your clothing is very strange." The woman said with a frown.

"My father is a merchant and apparently this is all the rage in Greece." Chris told the woman, fingering the hem of her shirt in embarrassment, "I much prefer my normal clothes."

"What is your name, child?" The woman asked. Chris studied her, she was tall with graying curly hair that was pulled back from her face by an elaborate braid and a head band. The woman was wearing a purple tunic that had a gold clip on the right shoulder.

"Christi." Chris said, she knew that having a masculine name would be confusing and not at all appropriate for the time period she was obviously in. "What may I call you, ma'am?"

"Metella." The woman said and Chris couldn't help but grin, she knew where she was now. "Why do you smile like that?"

"Sorry, but you have such a pretty name." Chris said, blushing a little bit.

"Thank you" Metella said leading Chris further into the maze that was Pompeii.

* * *

After working in the house of Caecilius and Metella for a week Chris was starting to worry that The Doctor wasn't going to show up. She'd read fanfiction like this before, where the main character time jumped around The Doctor's timeline. She was worried that it wouldn't end up like that at all, the Doctor wouldn't show up.

She was now positive that whatever the hell was going on it wasn't a dream. She would have woken up already if it was.

What if he did show up and she changed something. Something big. What if the Doctor never went to Mars and because of that he learned his lesson in a much bigger way. What if her never met a companion that saved his life because of her, like when he never met Donna in the alternate universe.

It was when she was thinking this and cleaning the floors in the main room that the Tardis was brought into the house. Chris watched the thing with awe, if the Tardis was here that meant the Doctor had met Donna. But that also meant the Doctor was in Pompeii and that he was going to have to do something he didn't want to.

"Modern art!" Caecilius "Out of the way, that's it. Oh, Christi, I'm a little bit peckish, get me some ants in honey, there's a good girl."

Chris grimaced, not only was the food here unappetizing she regretted telling Metella that her name was Christi. She had figured having a more feminine name would help her fit in better or something, but that was not the case. She just felt weird.

"Ooh, maybe a dormouse?" Caecilius called as Chris went off to the kitchen, before turning to his wife. "What d'you think?"

"You call it modern art." Metella said, "I call it a blooming great waste of space."

Chris came back with the honey covered ants.

"But we're going up in the world, my love." Caecilius said, wrapping an arm around his wife's shoulders. "Lucius Dextrus himself is coming to the house this afternoon. What with that, and our Evelina about to be elevated"

"Oh, don't go on about it, Dad!" Their son, Quintus, interrupted

"If we'd moved to Rome, like I said, she could have been a Vestal Virgin." Metella said

"Someone mention Vestal Virgins?" Quintus asked, giving Chris a wink, to which she glared.

Quintus was alright as far as men he tried to flirt with Chris on occasion but after a quick punch to the gut Quintus had backed off. Though, he still tried despite an extra warning from Metella.

"Quintus, don't be so rude." Metella ordered pushing Quintus towards the altar "You apologise to the household gods!"

"Get off" Quintus whined

"Apologise, right now!" Metella ordered again, "The gods are always watching."

"Positions!" Caecilius yelled as the earth started to shake. Chris quickly maneuvered herself to a doorway and crouched down until the shaking stopped, "There, now you've made the Heavens angry. Just say sorry."

"I tell you, Caecilius, that boy will come to no good." Metella said, "just look at how he treats Christi."

"I don't see why you brought that maid here," Caecilius groaned, "Rhombus was perfectly fine doing his job."

"You know as well as I do that Rhombus was better off in the stables." Metella argued moving over to grab Chris' hands "Christi is good for our daughter and good for our house."

"Thank you ma'am," Chris said with a shy smile, "You are too kind."

"And you are a good actress," Metella said with a raised eyebrow, "Where's that cheeky girl I know"

"She seems to be out, ma'am," Chris said with a grin. "Would you like me to fetch her?"

"Be off with you," Metella said with a laugh, "Go spend time with Evelina, it will do her good."

"Yes'm" Chris said with a bow before taking off to Evelina's room.

She had grown fond of the young girl in the week that she had been there. Evelina had treated her yell and they spent hours talking about everything from what happened that day to what Evelina wanted to do with her life. Chris had even opened up a little about her family, it had been nice.

When she arrived Evelina was crying and against the far wall away from the smoke that she inhaled everyday.

"Sometimes, in the smoke - I see the most terrible things." Evelina said without looking at Chris

"Like what?" Chris asked, kneeling next to Evelina and gently pulling her into a hug. Chris knew what the smoke was doing to Evelina and had tried to get her to stop but the girl had refused.

"A face." Evelina said, burying her face in Chris' neck "A face of stone."

"It'll make sense one day," Chris promised, "I will do all that I can to help you until then, Evy, you know that, don't you?"

"It's strange, I've known you one week but I feel like I've known you a lifetime." Evelina told her, pulling back.

"It's the same for me." Chris said with a smile, "You're like the little sister I never even knew I wanted."

"You're much better than my big brother." Evelina said.

"Oh, that's gonna change, y'know." Chris said, smoothing Evelina's hair out of the way, "You guys are gonna be best friends once he gets out of this, 'I'm a boy and I'm better' stage."

Evelina suddenly gasped and pushed away from Chris fully, "He's here, the man you've been waiting for."

Chris let out a sigh of relief and stood up, "Thank you Evelina." She helped the younger woman stand and walk out towards the main room where Chris would find the Doctor.

There was a knock on the front door and Chris went to answer it after leaving Evelina just outside the main room, only to be stopped by Caecilius.

"I'm afraid business is closed for the day." Caecilius said, upon realizing that the man and woman on his porch were not the guest that he had been expecting, "I'm expecting a visitor."

"That's me." The Doctor said, his accent obvious to Chris, "I'm a visitor. Hello."

"Who are you?" Caecilius asked

"I am Spartacus." The Doctor said with a cheesy grin

"And so am I." Donna said, causing Chris to roll her eyes. She moved over to the Tardis leaning against it and smirking at Metella. She had told the woman about the man she was waiting for and the 'soothsayer' who told her about him.

"Mr and Mrs Spartacus?" Caecilius asked looking between the two as Chris snorted

"0h, no, we're not married." Donna said at the same time The Doctor said, "We're not together."

"Yes, of course!" Caecilius agreed, "You look very much alike."

"Really?" The two asked at the same time sharing a look. They both looked disgusted at the thought and it made Chris snort. She hid as the Doctor looked around the room. She may have been waiting for the man to show up but she was suddenly nervous about meeting him.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not open for trading." Caecilius told them, trying to shut the door.

"And that trade would be?" The Doctor asked, finally turning his attention back to the man in front of him.

"Marble." Chris said, suddenly popping up beside Caecilius who just glared at her.

"Christi, get back to Evelina, you know your duty."

"Ah, sorry, sir." Chris said with a smirk, "Have I mentioned yet that I quit?"

"Chris!" The Doctor said, pulling Chris into a hug, only letting go when she stiffened at the contact. "Ah, sorry, early, yeah?"

"Yeah," Chris said with a nod, "and you're late. I've been here a week."

"Ah," The Doctor said, rubbing his neck before shrugging, "Sorry?"

"I mean, it's okay. Cause I got over some things, found new things, got a job, quit that job," She gestured to Caecilius who was trying to get her away from The Doctor but was being held back by Metella, "Made some friends. Also, did I mention the fact that this is my second time meeting you and my first time meeting this you."

"You're about to have a panic attack, aren't you?" The Doctor said with a frown.

"Yeah," Chris said before throwing her arms around The Doctor as she started to hyperventilate

"Breathe." The Doctor murmured taking slow exaggerated breaths. "Chris you have to breathe."

"Breathing." Chris said, taking deep breaths with the Doctor, "breathing."

"Lobus Caecilius." Caecilius said, ignoring the fact that Chris was obviously having problems, "Mining, polishing and design thereof."

"Can't you see they're busy." Donna said, her voice harsh. "Just back off and go to your wife, we'll be with you in a moment."

"Yes, of course, sorry." Caecilius said, walking over to Metella who smacked him on the back of the head before turning to give Chris a worried look.

After Chris got her breathing under control she stepped back to smile shyly at the Doctor, "Do I do that a lot? Y'know, break down when I see you?"

"Once," The Doctor said only to add more when he sees Chris giving him a look, "Okay, more than once, not important… well, it is important, but we have differently important things to take care of."

"Ah yes, I forgot about that." Chris said before turning to Caecilius, "This man here just so happens to be a marble inspector. He's the friend that I got separated from just outside the city."

The Doctor pulled out his psychic paper and showed it to Caecilius, "By the gods of Commerce, an inspection! I'm sorry, sir." He glanced at Chris, "and Christi-"

"It's Chris, my name is Chris."

"Chris, I'm sorry for the way I have treated you, I was-" he paused, trying to think of the right word to use

"Insensitive" Donna suggested.

"Yes, I was insensitive."

"Yeah, you kinda were, weren't you." Chris said, "Well, no problem. Doctor Spartacus is here and everything is about to start and I'm sorry, but, yeah. That's it. I'm sorry."

"Well, we aren't prepared." Caecilius told them looking around nervously

"Nothing to worry about I'm sure you've got nothing to hide." The Doctor said, stuffing his hands into his pockets and looking around the room, "Although, frankly, THAT object - looks rather like wood to me."

"I told you to get rid of it." Metella said.

"I only bought it today!" Caecilius whined.

"It is a rather lovely old girl." Chris said with a grin

"Oh, stop it." The Doctor hissed in Chris' ear, "Don't flirt with the Tardis."

"Never," Chris whispered back with a grin before walking over to Evelina.

 _I have someone to take care of for the next lil bit. See ya._ Rain told the Doctor for Chris.

 _ **You'll stay close.**_

 _So close you'll want me gone._

 _ **Never.**_

"Ah, well Caveat emptor." The Doctor said with a wink to Chris

"Oh, you're Celtic." Caecilius said with a frown, "That's lovely. Makes sense though, Metella told me Christi-"

"Chris!" Everyone heard from down the hall, The Doctor grinned.

"Excuse me, Chris, was speaking Welsh when she found her."

"Welsh?" Donna asked at the same time the Doctor said, "Found her?"

"Yeah, in an alley. She looked sick when Metella first brought her here a week ago. She was a blubbering mess. Something about sonics and Doctors." Caecilius frowned, "Took her three days to actually be useful."

"I'm sure it's fine, but I might have to take it off your hands, for a proper inspection." The Doctor said, getting closer to the Tardis to make sure there were no marks on the outside. He stored the information about Chris for later, knowing that he needed to have a talk with the woman when they were back on the Tardis.

"While we're here, would you recommend a holiday, Spartacus?" Donna said, getting closer to the Doctor

"Don't know what you mean, Spartacus." The Doctor said, suddenly going tense.

"This Doctor," Evelina said, bringing Chris' attention to her, "He cares for you deeply, and yet you do not feel the same."

"I've only just met him." Chris said ruefully, "Apparently he's known me for a long time"

"I can tell," Evelina whispered gripping Chris' arm, "He looks at you like you're his universe."

"That's a lot of weight to put on a person." Chris said with a small smile, "I hope I can live up to that."

"You will, oh believe me, you will." Evelina said, tears in her eyes.

"Hush, Evy," Chris said, wrapping the girl into a hug, "Breathe, you need to breathe. I got you."

"Announcing Lucius Petrus Dextrus, Chief Augur of the City Government." A man called into the house and Chris helped Evy to stand.

"Lucius." Caecilius said, "My pleasure, as always."

"Quintus, stand up!" Metella ordered, noticing that her son was still on the ground.

"A rare and great honour, sir, for you to come to my house" Caecilius told the man, obviously sucking up to the Augur.

"The birds are flying north, and the wind is in the west." Lucius said and Chris rolled her eyes, she'd never liked the man.

"Quite." The Doctor said with a grin "Absolutely."

"That's good, is it?" Donna whispered to the Doctor

"Only the grain of wheat knows where it will grow." Lucius said, his voice low and airy

"There now, Metella." Caecilius said, wrapping an arm around Metella's shoulders, "Have you ever heard SUCH wisdom?"

"Never." Metella told him. "It's an honour."

"Pardon me, sir, I have guests, this is Spartacus" He gestured to the Doctor, "and Spartacus."

"A name is but a cloud upon a summer wind." Lucius said with a nod to The Doctor

"But the wind is felt most keenly in the dark." The Doctor returned

"But what is the dark, - other than an omen of the sun?" Lucius said

"I concede that every sun must set" The Doctor said

"And yet the son of the father must also rise." Chris interrupted when Evy pushed her out of her hiding place. She paused when everyone stared at her, "What, never seen a woman with learning? My dad was all 'bout making sure I could help my future husband in whatever it was he did for a living." As Chris was talking her words started to slur together so she took a deep breath before continuing, "Well, don't mind me, obviously you macho men must compare your intelligence."

"Do forgive her," The Doctor said, "She was raised unconventionally"

 _ **Unconventionally my ass,**_ Chris whined to Rain, making the woman in her head laugh, _**It's so strange having you laugh in my head.**_

 _Believe me, it's strange being in your head._ Rain told her with a chuckle, _You should probably help Evy now._

Chris nodded to herself and went over to help Evy out into the room, knowing the girl was weak. She saw The Doctor and Donna having a pointed conversation and couldn't help but roll her eyes. She, of course, knew they were going to stay. But still, she didn't like it one bit. She knew how hard this would be for the Doctor. And she wasn't sure how much just her being there would change.

"They're laughing at us." Evelina said from her spot leaning against Chris, "Those two, they use words like tricksters, they're mocking us."

"No, no, no." The Doctor said, looking to Chris for help, "I meant no offence."

"I'm sorry, my daughter's been consuming the vapors." Metella said and Chris shook her head at the woman, causing her to back off.

"By the gods, mother, what have you been doing to her?" Quintus asked, glaring at Chris

"Not now, Quintus." Caecilius ordered his son.

"But she's sick, just look at her!" Quintus said, going to push Chris away from his sister but a look from Evelina stopped him.

"I gather I have a rival in this household." Lucius said with a tight smile, "Another with the gift."

"Oh, she's been promised to the Sibylline Sisterhood." Metella bragged, "They say she has remarkable visions."

"I mean, you are an augur, you should know by now that you're not that special, yeah?" Chris said addressing Lucius but looking around the room, not making eye contact

"The prophecies of women are limited and dull, only the menfolk have the capacity for true perception." Lucius said with a nasty smile at Chris

"I'll tell you where the wind's blowing right now, mate." Donna muttered, earning herself an elbow from The Doctor.

"The Mountain God marks your words." Lucius said as the room shook slightly, "I'd be careful, if I were you."

"Consuming the vapors, you said?" The Doctor asked, giving Chris a look that she couldn't quite decipher.

"They give me strength." Evy said leaning heavily against Chris

"It doesn't look like it to me." The Doctor said turning his attention from Chris, who obviously didn't know him that well, to Evelina.

"Is that your opinion" Evelina asked, tightening her grip on Chris' arm, "as a doctor?"

"I beg your pardon?" The Doctor said, glancing at Chris who shook her head. She'd told Evelina nothing of who the Doctor actually was.

"Doctor, that's your name." Evelina said.

"How did you know that?" Donna asked

"And you" She pointed to Donna, "You call yourself Noble."

"Now then, Evelina, don't be rude." Caecilius said, trying to stop his daughter from offending their guests.

"No, no, no, no, let her talk." The Doctor said, waving off Caecilius

"You both come from so far away." Evelina said

"The female soothsayer is inclined to invent all sorts of vagaries." Lucius said and Chris glared at him. She did not like the man.

"No, I reckon you've been out-soothsayed." The Doctor told the man, much to his displeasure

"Is that so - man from Gallifrey?" Lucius said trying to steal the spotlight back from Evelina as the house started to tremble ominously

"What?" The Doctor asked, glancing at Chris again.

"The strangest of images your home is lost in fire, is it not?" Lucius asked

"Doctor, what are they doing?" Donna asked glancing between Lucius and Evelina

"And you, daughter of London." Lucius said, turning to Donna

"How does he know that?" Donna asked, a fearful look growing on her face

"This is the gift of Pompeii." Lucius told her, "Every single oracle tells the truth."

"That's impossible." Donna argued

"Doctor she is returning." Lucius said, his voice getting deeper and seeming more ominous with the shaking of the building.

"Who is?" The Doctor asked, "Who's she?"

"And you, daughter of London there is something on your back." Lucius nearly spat

"What's that mean?" Donna asked trying to see her back

"Even the word 'doctor' is false." Evelina said, looking back at the Doctor, "Your real name is hidden. It burns in the stars, in the Cascade of Medusa herself. You are a Lord, sir. A Lord of Time." She looked up at Chris, "And how can you be both the clouds and the Rain?"

"Evelina!" Metella yelled as the girl fainted in Chris' arms. Chris shared a look with the Doctor before he walked over to take a look at the young woman.

Chris carried Evelina to her room as The Doctor and Caecilius continued to talk. Once Evelina was lying down Chris went about preparing a washcloth for the girl's forehead, knowing that she was going to be running a fever.

"She didn't mean to be rude, she's ever such a good girl." Metella said, But when the gods speak through her-"

"What's wrong with her arm?" Donna asked, having followed them

"An irritation of the skin." Metella said "She never complains, bless her. Christi bathes it in olive oil every night."

"What is it?" Donna asked, glancing from Chris to Evelina

"Evelina said you'd come from far away." Metella said showing "Please, have you ever seen anything like it?"

Donna walked forward uncertainly when Chris nodded. She reached down to feel Evelina's are "It's stone." Donna said after feeling the arm. She looked around to find that Chris had gone.

* * *

Chris was making her way out to the Doctor. She knew how hard this adventure was going to be for the Time Lord and wanted to be there for him. She also had questions that only the Time Lord could answer. She'd made a list of them on the nights that she hadn't been able to sleep that week, which was most of them.

"Different sort of hypocaust." The Doctor said, looking down into the steaming hypocaust with interest, trying to figure out what sort of mysteries it held. He did not like the steam that was coming out of it.

"Oh, yes." Caecilius bragged, "We're very advanced in Pompeii. In Rome, they're still using the old wood-burning furnaces. But we've got hot springs, leading from Vesuvius itself."

"Who thought of that?" The Doctor asked, not noticing Chris walk up next to him, too absorbed in the hypocaust before him.

"The soothsayers." Chris answered for Caecilius, giving a small smile when she saw that she'd startled both of the men.

"I thought you quit." Caecilius said, a hint of anger in her voice now that he was over his shock at her sudden appearance.

"Yes," Chris said, offering no more information as she too studied the hypocaust, ignoring the looks the Doctor was giving her. She wouldn't have been able to read them anyway.

"After the great earthquake, an awful lot of damage." Caecilius said, wanting to draw the attention of Doctor Spartacus away from Christi. "But we rebuilt."

"Didn't you think of moving away?" The Doctor asked, gesturing for Chris to come over to the hypocaust before muttering to her, "No, then again, San Francisco."

"That's a little restaurant in Naples, isn't it?" Caecilius said, having overheard the Doctor.

"What's that noise?" The Doctor asked, referring to a stony growl coming up from the hypocaust.

"Don't know. Happens all the time." Caecilius told him before leaning in like he was imparting a great secret, "They say the gods of the Underworld are stirring."

"But after the earthquake, let me guess - is that when the soothsayers started making sense?" The Doctor asked, shaking his head at Chris who had been rolling her eyes.

"Oh, yes, very much so." Caecilius agreed eagerly, "I mean, they'd always been, shall we say, imprecise? But then the soothsayers, the augurs, the haruspex, all of them, they saw the truth, again and again. It's quite amazing. They predict crops and rainfall with absolute precision."

"Have they said anything about tomorrow?" The Doctor asked earning an elbow from Chris. In her opinion if the man was going to berate Donna for her actions then he shouldn't be such a hypocrite about it.

"No. Why, should they? Why d'you ask?" Was the answer

"No, no, no reason. Just asking." The Doctor said hurriedly after a look from Chris, "But the soothsayers, they all consume the vapours, yeah?"

"That's how they see." Caecilius told him.

"Ipso facto" The Doctor muttered, sticking his head into the hypocaust

"Look you." Caecilius said, getting frustrated with the strange Celtic man and his ex-maid.

"They're all consuming this." The Doctor said, holding up his pinched fingers to let dust fall to the ground

"Dust?" Caecilius asked

"Tiny particles of rock." The Doctor corrected before sticking some in his mouth.

"Dust" Chris said, earning a glare from both men, the Doctor's was less severe than Caecilius'

"They're breathing in Vesuvius." The Doctor continued, as if Chris hadn't interrupted him.

"Well, you two have fun." Chris said with a grin, She stood and walked over to the door leading back to Evy's room. "I should go make sure, uh, Spartacus, is doing alright. This is a new culture for her."

"Wait." The Doctor said, quickly making his way to Chris, "How are you doing?"

"I've had a week to get used to this, Doc." Chris said, The Doctor winced "I'm doing as well as I can. Now, let me talk to Donna and you ask Quintus about Lucius."

"Why would I ask about Lucius." The Doctor asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You're the timelord, work it out." Chris told him before turning and making her way to Evelina's room.

"You're not supposed to laugh." Donna was scolding Evy with a laugh as Chris walked into the room. "Thanks for that. What d'you think? The Goddess Venus."

"That's sacrilege." Evy said with a laugh of her own

"Nice to see you laugh, though." Donna said said, not noticing Chris for a moment, though Chris was smiling at the purple dress the temp was wearing.

"You look gorgeous." Chris said, before noting the wary look Donna was giving her, "Ah sorry, have we met yet? I mean, I haven't actually met you, but I want to make sure we've met. So that if we haven't I know not to cause a paradox or something," She noticed the looks the two women were giving her, "and I'm rambling, aren't I?"

"We've met," Donna said, "But he hasn't exactly told me who you are."

"Ah, well," Chris said failing to notice how Doctor like she was sounding, "how 'bout once we get back to the Tardis, assuming I haven't disappeared, I'll tell ya everything I can?"

"That sounds nice." Donna said with a still-wary smile before turning to Evy, who was watching Chris knowingly.

"What d'you do in old Pompeii, then, girls of your age?" Donna asked, getting Evelina's attention as Chris stepped out of the room with a frown. "You got mates? D'you go hanging about round the shops? TK Maximus?"

This was Chris' first time meeting a companion and she had the notion that she hadn't made a good impression with Donna the first time the temp from Chiswick had met her. Not that it really mattered, Chris had more important things to deal with than getting into this companions good graces, she could do that later.

The entire time Chris had been in Pompeii she'd been considering how she should go about this particular adventure. She could step aside and let things run their course. Back with eleven she hadn't changed much but she was afraid that something bad would happen if she go too involved.

 _ **Rain, any insight?**_ Chris asked as she wandered about the estate, waiting for The Doctor to get back.

 _I am not an augur,_ Rain quipped, _I know little more than you do, Chris. I have access to your memories of the show 'Doctor Who' and the knowledge I gained from an experience shortly before you showed up in this universe._

 _ **What experience?**_ Chris asked, picking up a vase to examine it.

 _I believe it was the episode "Asylum of the Daleks"_ Chris shivered at Rain's reply.

 _ **I am glad I don't have to experience that for myself then.**_ Chris set the vase down and moved on the a statue, _**I just wish I knew why the hell I was here, and how to get back home. Mike, my brother, my dad. I worry about them.**_

 _I know, Chris._

Chris let out a sigh, sensing that the conversation was over. She moved away from the statue but was startled into nearly knocking it over by the voice of Metella.

"Christi? Are you alright?" Metella asked and Chris turned to her sheepish after preventing the statue from falling.

"Yes," Chris said, stepping away from anything she might break, "just a little out of it. It's been a long day."

"That it has." Metella said with a grin, placing her hands on Chris' shoulders, "I know that you quit today, my dear, but know that you are always welcome here. You do so much good for my Evelyn."

"Ah now," Chris said, her face flushing, "I can't make her laugh like that Donna does."

"That is not true," Metella argued, squeezing Chris' shoulders then dropping her hands to her side, "There is more to doing good than making a person laugh."

"You're a lot more understanding than I thought you would be." Chris said, tilting her head to the side.

"You remind me of my mother." Metella said, much to Chris' surprise, "She was hardworking and never let anyone treat her the wrong way. She also tried her hardest to make the best out of every situation."

"I will try my best to do your mother proud, Metella," Chris said, "It is the least I can do to honor the mother of such a wonderful woman."

"You're giving her a big head." Caecilius' voice cut through the air and I turned to the man in surprise. He'd treated Metella with such love and care, "Metella, stop telling this child such lies."

Chris felt her shoulders deflate in both relief and hurt, she was glad that Caecilius did not treat his wife badly. Though, the way he was treating Chris was not something she was going to put up with either.

"My head's just fine the way it is, Caecilius." Chris told the man, shocking him by addressing the marble worker by his first name, "you need not concern yourself with the size of my ego. Nor with the conversations that have nothing to do with you."

"How dare you disrespect me in my own home?" Caecilius questioned hotly.

"Easily." Chris said before walking out of the room as Metella moved to calm down her husband.

* * *

A short time later Chris found herself in the main room by the Tardis. She was sitting with her back against it when Evy and Donna walked in. Chris watched the two warily before the earth suddenly started to shake in little spurts and the Doctor literally lept into the room.

"Caecilius, Chris," The Doctor yelled as he moved to Donna and Evy, pushing the two away from the hypocaust, "all of you! Get out!"

"Doctor!" Caecilius yelled as he and Metella rushed into the room, "What is it?"

"I think we're being followed." The Doctor said, trying to force Donna and Evelina back as the shaking got worse. "Just get out!"

"Doctor," Chris called as the ground near her started to crack, she looked around in fear, "A little help."

"Chris, get in the Tardis." The Doctor yelled before suddenly there was a giant rock creature pushing his way up from below the hypocaust. Chris hugged the side of the Tardis, not wanting to fall in.

"The gods are with us." Evelina said

"Water! We need water!" The Doctor started yelling, "Quintus, all of you, get water! Donna, help Chris!"

Doing as he said Donna made her way around the cracks in the floor and helped Chris around the side of the Tardis where she could stand on solid ground. Chris immediately threw her arms around Donna, who graciously returned the hug.

"I don't know what I do or say to make you so wary of me but you, Donna Noble, are a gem," Chris rattled, "A true gem."

"Uh, thanks." Donna said, gently pushing Chris back so that she could breath normally, "Now we should get water."

Chris looked over to the the golem and groaned as Donna went to fetch water. "Oh." She said as the golem attacked two servants, ones that she had grown rather fond of.

"Blest are we to see the gods." Evelina said barely loud enough for Chris to hear.

"Talk to me, that's all I want!" The Doctor yelled, placing himself in front of Caecilius and Metella, "Talk to me, just tell me who you are." The thing looked over at the Doctor, "Don't hurt these people! I'm the Doctor, just tell me who you are."

"Doctor!" Donna called before suddenly women in Red robes surrounded her. Chris tried to call out but she found herself staring at the woman who looked exactly like Amelia Pond.

A servant and Quintus threw buckets of water on the creature. The Doctor started to sonic the creature after it had fallen apart

"What was it?" Quintus asked while Chris tried to find her voice.

"Carapace of stone, held together by internal magma, not too difficult to stop." The Doctor told them, "But I reckon that's just the foot soldier."

Chris took several deep breaths trying not to panic so that she could tell the Doctor that Donna was kidnapped.

"Doctor, or whatever your name is, you bring bad luck on this house." Caecilius yelled

"I thought your son was brilliant, aren't you going to thank him?" The Doctor said before looking around for Donna and Chris "Still If there ARE aliens at work in Pompeii, it's a good thing we stayed."

He couldn't find Donna but he could hear the panicked breaths of Chris.

"Chris" the Doctor yelled as he ran to the woman, "hey, hey, hey, it's okay, you're okay."

He pulled Chris into his arms so that she had an anchor.

"Breathe, Chris, breathe," The Doctor ordered, slowing his breaths to help calm Chris.

"Breathing, breathing" Chris said matching her breaths to the Doctors. "Donna, she was taken."

"It's okay, we'll find her," The Doctor said, pulling back to look at Chris, "I know you're not used to this yet, but we'll get through this, together, you got that?"

"I got it," Chris said, nodding her head before grinning, "Thanks Doc, you're a star."

"Okay, what can you tell me?" The Doctor asked, dropping his arms from around Chris and taking a step back.

"Doc," Chris began, "I can't tell you anything, I'm sorry. This is too important I should actually just wait in the Tardis. I could change things too much from what I know and I don't want to do that because what if things go too bad what if Donna dies, what if you die, what if-"

"Chris, stop." The Doctor commanded and Chris stopped talking, "forget I asked," He frowned at the hurt look Chris gave him, "No, no, don't do that. I meant don't worry about it, obviously it's early for you and you're not as experienced as you will be and that's okay."

Chris took a few deep breaths before nodding. She couldn't believe she had forgotten about Donna getting kidnapped.

' _You can't remember everything, Chris'_ Rain said, startling Chris. Considering Rain was another mind inside her own Chris forgot about Rain a lot, ' _remember the letter? Trust The Doctor. '_

 _ **Thanks, Rain.**_ Chris said, _**Seriously.**_

 _You are welcome._

* * *

 _A/N: GUESS WHAT! I've been on FF for more than a year! The 26th marked my anniversary. I meant to update the story that has been going for a year but I got writers block after the last chapter and currently have one sentence written for it. Sorry. Hopefully I'll have something else to post before the new year. Any who enjoy! Let me know what you think, I love getting reviews. They certainly brighten my day._

 _-Ryn_


	9. The Fires of Pompeii: Part Two

"You have got to be kidding me." Donna said, having woken to find herself at the mercy of the red-robed women who had kidnapped her.

"The False Prophet will surrender both her blood - and her breath." One of the women said, she had a necklace that none of the other women surrounding Donna had. She was also holding a knife with a curved handle.

"I'll surrender you in a minute." Donna quipped. She faintly heard a snort but she couldn't pinpoint the location. "Don't you dare!" She yelled at one of the women who got too close to her.

"You will be silent." The Woman ordered

"Listen, sister." Donna commanded, "You might have eyes on the back of your hands, but you'll have eyes be in the back of your head by the time I've finished with you!" her voice got louder "LET me GO!"

"This prattling voice will cease forever!" The woman said, raising the knife

"Oh, that'll be the day." The Doctor said, strolling into the room with one hand in his pocket and the other around Chris' waist. Donna gave Chris a pitying look, seeing that she had red puffy eyes and a runny nose.

"No man is allowed to enter the Temple of Sibyl." The head woman said

"Well, that's all right, just us girls." The Doctor said, smiling when Chris let out a small giggle.

"Do you know, I met the Sibyl once, hell of a woman. Blimey, she could dance the Tarantella! Nice teeth. Truth be told, I think she had a bit of a thing for me. I said it would never last, she said, "I know". Well, she would." The Doctor was by Donna now, having distracted the women with his speech. "You alright there?"

"Oh, never better." Donna said

"I like the toga." The Doctor said, squeezing Chris' waist. He obviously was nervous about the condition that Chris was in. Donna had never seen her this bad.

"Thank you." Donna said before tugging at her binding"And the ropes?"

"Yeah, not so much." The Doctor said sonicking her hands free

"What magic is this?" The leader of the Sibyl demanded to know

"Let me tell you about the Sibyl, the founder of this religion." The Doctor said, handing Chris to Donna who wrapped the woman in a hug. "She would be ashamed of you. All her wisdom and insight turned sour. Is that how you spread the word? On the blade of a knife?"

"Yes, a knife that now welcomes you." The woman said, raising the knife

"Show me this man and woman!" An older woman called from behind the screen before anyone could react. All the women turned and knelt as Chris drew her feet up beside her on the bed.

"High Priestess, the stranger would defile us." The woman with the knife called

"Let me see." The High Priestess called again. "These two are different. He carries starlight in his wake. She carries the Rain inside."

Donna dragged Chris up so that she stood on the Doctor's left and Chris was on his right. She glanced at the black haired woman to see that she was a lot calmer than she appeared and she was looking around to room with keen eyes.

"Oh, very perceptive." The Doctor said with a glance at Chris, shoulders relaxing when she saw that she was looking better. Though her eyes were still puffy and her nose still ran. The Doctor fished in his pocket for a handkerchief.

"Where do these words of wisdom come from?" Chris asked, her voice strong.

"The gods whisper to me." The High Priestess said

"They've done far more than that." Chris quipped, giving the Doctor a hint. She accepted the handkerchief with a raised eyebrow and then noisily blew her nose, "Sorry bout that," She apologized, "allergies."

The Doctor and Donna scoffed, Chris glared at them.

"Might I beg audience?" The Doctor asked grinning at Chris who just shook her head at him, "Look upon the High Priestess?"

"Oh, my God." Donna exclaimed when the curtain was moved to reveal a woman who was almost all stone, "What's happened to YOU?"

"The heavens have blessed me." The High Priestess said

"If I might" The Doctor said, walking up to the High Priestess to inspect the stone closer, "Does it hurt?"

"It is necessary." The High Priestess told The Doctor

"Who told you that?" Chris asked the High Priestess, looking not at all shocked by the woman's body turning to stone.

"The voices." The High Priestess said

"Is that what's gonna happen to Evelina?" Donna asked before circling to look at the rest of the Silbylline priestesses "Is this what's gonna happen to all of you?"

"The blessings are manifold." One of the women said, showing her arm to Donna and Chris

"They're stone." Donna commented feeling the woman's arm

"Exactly." The Doctor said, stepping away from the High Priestess, "The people of Pompeii are turning to stone BEFORE the volcano erupts." He turned to face the High Priestess, hands in his pocket "But why?"

"This word, this image in your mind." The High Priestess said, "This volcano What is that? More to the point, why don't you know about it?"

"Who are you?" The Doctor demanded

"High Priestess of the Sibylline." The High Priestess spat out

"No, no, no, no, no, he's talking to the creature inside you." Chris said, stepping up next to the Doctor and grinning.

"The thing seeding itself into a human body, in the dust, in the lungs, taking over the flesh and turning it into" The Doctor glanced around the room, "What?"

"Your knowledge is impossible." The High Priestess said, her body rocking back and forth.

"Oh, but you can read my mind, you know it's not." The Doctor said "I demand you tell me who you are!"

"We are awakening." The High Priestess said her voice sounding gravely

"The voice of the gods!" The other priestess called before beginning to chant, "Words of wisdom, words of power. Words of wisdom, words of power"

"Name yourself!" The Doctor called "Planet of origin. Galactic coordinates. Species designation according to the universal ratification of the Shadow Proclamation."

"We are rising." The High Priestess said, her voice was no longer her own.

"Tell me your name!" The Doctor shouted, throwing his arms out and nearly hitting Chris, wh who had to jump out of the way.

"Pyrovile."

"Pyrovile, Pyrovile, Pyrovile" The women began chanting. Chris reached her hand into her coat and pulled out a water gun that the Doctor had given her before they left Caecilius' house.

"What's a Pyrovile?" Donna asked, looking between Chris and the Doctor

"Well that's a Pyrovile, growing inside HER." The Doctor said, "She's the halfway stage."

"And that turns into-" Donna asked

"That thing in the villa was an adult Pyrovile." Chris said, "Nasty little bas-"

"Language," The Doctor yelled.

"And the breath of a Pyrovile will incinerate YOU, Doctor." THe High Priestess threatened as she stood up before the group. Chris was surprised that she could move

"I warn you, I'm armed!" The Doctor said, raising his own water pistol "Donna, get that grille open." He gestured over to the side of the dias that the High Priestess had been sitting on

"What for?" Donna asked looking to where the Doctor had gestured

"He has a thing and he needs it open, Donna," Chris said so that the Doctor could focus. The sooner that they were out of there the better.

"What are the Pyrovile doing here?" The Doctor asked, gratefull for Chris' support.

"We fell from the heavens." The almost- Pyrovile said, "We fell so far and so fast, we were rendered into dust."

"Right, creatures of stone, shattered on impact." The Doctor nodded along, aiming his water pistol around the room as Chris' kept her's pointed at the almost- Pyrovile

"When was that, 17 years ago?" Chris asked when she noticed that the Doctor was distracted.

"We have slept beneath for thousands of years." The creature informed them

"OK, so 17 years ago woke you up, and now you're using human bodies to reconstitute yourselves," Chris said before the Doctor interrupted her.

"But why the psychic powers?" The Doctor asked

"We opened their minds and found such gifts." The Pyrovile told them, almost smugly

"OK, so you force yourself inside a human brain, use the latent psychic talent to bond, I get that, I get that" The Doctor said

"But seeing the future, that is way beyond psychic, you can see through time." Chris continued,

"Where does the gift of prophecy come from?" The Doctor asked

"Got it!" Donna exclaimed and the Doctor whirled toward her

"Now get down!" The Doctor ordered, turning back to face the Pyrovile

"What, down there?" Donna asked

"Yes, down there." The Doctor almost mocked, "You too, Chris."

Chris saluted him and ran over to Donna, ushering her down the grate opening.

"Why can't they predict a volcano?" The Doctor demanded to know as he too moved to the grate, "Why is it being hidden?"

"Sisters, I see into his mind." The leader of the priestesses called, "Their weapons are harmless!"

"Yeah, but it's gotta sting." Chris said, shooting water at the High Priestess and then pushing Donna down the hole.

"Get down there!" The Doctor yelled at her, also shooting at the High Priestess.

"You fought her off with a water pistol." Donna said once the three of them were down there. "I bloody love you two!"

"This way!" The Doctor said, having found the way into the volcano. He pulled Chris along, expecting Donna to follow

"Where are we going now?" Donna demanded, not quite willing to follow.

"Into the volcano." The Doctor told her

"No way." Donna said, refusing to move.

"Yes way." Chris said, grabbing Donna's hand and dragging her along.

"Appian way." The Doctor said brightly, moving ahead of Donna and Chris.

* * *

Back in the Sybilline cloisters the Pyrovile spoke as the High Priestess in front of the Sisters of Sybilline.

"The stranger would threaten our great endeavour. The time has come. The prophecy must ADVANCE!" The High Priestess told her Daughters in her raspy voice

* * *

In his own rooms Lucius was breathing in the smoke of Vesuvius.

"The prophecy must advance." The Augur said, "Thy will be done. Summon the Cult of Vulcan."

"Yes, sir." A servant told him

"We must go to the mountain. Vesuvius awaits."

* * *

Caecilius blew out the final candle. Daylight had come at last and the family felt braver due to the light. But they all knew it was far from over, Vesuvius was still angry.

"Sunrise, my love." Caecilius said, rejoining the distraught Metella on the couch she was seated on, "A new day. Even the longest night must end."

"The mountain's worse than ever." Quintus pointed out, he didn't need his father getting ahead of himself.

"We killed a messenger of the gods in our own house." Metella said, her voice quivering, "And Christi, oh my love, what of Christi?" She turned to Evelina, "Sweetheart, can you see? Tell us.

What's going to happen?"

"Just leave her alone." Quintus protested, only for Evelina to interrupt him.

"I can see" she said, letting her head fall back

"What is it?" Metella asked, watching her daughter with concern

"A choice." Evelina said, "Someone must make a choice." She opened her eyes and her family saw that she was in tears, "The most terrible choice. And there's nothing she can do to stop it."

* * *

"But if it's aliens setting off the volcano, doesn't that make it all right, for you to stop it?" Donna asked after only moments of silence.

"Still part of history." The Doctor said, not looking back at Donna.

Chris could see how tense he was and wished more than anything she could help. But she couldn't screw it up. Not this time. This was a fixed point and there was nothing they could do about it. The sooner Donna understood that the better it was for everyone.

"But I'm history to you." Donna said, "You saved me, in 2008, you saved us all. Why's that different?"

"Some things are fixed, some things are in flux." The Doctor explained, "Pompeii is fixed."

"How do you know which is which?" Donna asked, The Doctor turned around abruptly and had to catch Chris to keep her from falling as she ran into him.

"Because that's how I see the universe." The Doctor said harshly, "Every waking second, I can see what is, what was, what could be, what must not. That's the burden of the Time Lord, Donna. And I'm the only one left."

"How many people died?" Donna asked, not even pausing to let what The Doctor said sink in.

"Stop it." The Doctor warned.

"Doctor, how many people died?" Donna repeated her question. The Doctor stopped walking, Chris nearly ran into him again.

"20,000"

"Is that what you can see, Doctor? All 20,000? And you think that's all right, do you?"

"Donna," Chris started to admonish but she was stopped by the Doctor as the ground started to rumble and there was a screech

"They know we're here." The Doctor said, he said, grabbing both of their hands and tugging them after him. He let go once they reached an incline so that he had both hands to scramble up with. "Come on!"

* * *

"Almighty Vesuvius, accept these offerings, in Vulcan's design, and show unto us, I beseech you, the gods of the Underworld." Lucius called. He and seven others were standing at and opening into Vesuvius where one of the Pyroviles was exiting the mountain.

* * *

The Doctor led Chris and Donna closer to the heart of Vesuvius. Chris was at the back of the group now and the closer they go to the heart the more anxious Chris got. She was sweating buckets and felt parched. Her head was starting to pound and she felt a little faint too.

 _ **They never show this on TV**_ Chris complained to Rain. _**The heat and the dehydration and the headaches. I mean, unless the headaches are necessary to the plot of course. But this stuff, climbing through dusty tunnels, they'd never show that.**_

 _Can you blame them?_ Rain asked, _This stuff is boring. Imagine just having to watch it, not even getting to participate._

"It's the heart of Vesuvius" The Doctor said, preventing Chris from asking her next question. "We're right inside the mountain."

The were stopped at the edge of a cave which had thousands of Pyroviles inside. By then Chris was overheating and she could see sweat running down the backs of her two friends.

"There's tons of them." Donna remarked

"What's that thing?" The Doctor muttered, pulling out a small telescope

"Oh, hurry up and think of something, Rocky fall's on its way." Donna grumbled, looking around the cave nervously.

"That's how they arrived." The Doctor said pointing to a bit of bright red that Chris could barely see in the distance. She snatched the telescope from the Doctor to see that it was more compute chip looking things.

"Or what's left of it." Chris added.

"Escape pod? Prison ship? Gene bank?" The Doctor said, "But why do they need a volcano?"

"Maybe it erupts, and they launch themselves back into space or something." Donna offered

"Oh, it's worse than that." Chris said, not really paying attention.

"How could it be worse?" Donna snapped as the ground started to shake more, "Doctor, it's getting closer."

"Heathens!" Lucius yelled and Chris looked up to find them, cursing silently as her vision started to blur. She did not like heat, not one bit "Defile us! They would desecrate your temple, My Lord gods!"

"Come on." The Doctor yelled, pulling Donna with him

"We can't go in!" Donna told them

"Well, we can't go back." The Doctor yelled before he began shooting at the rising pyrovile with his watergun.

"Crush them! Burn them!" Lucius was chanting as Chris struggled to catch up "There is nowhere to run, Doctor, and daughter of London."

"Now then, Lucius, My Lords Pyrovillian, don't get yourselves in a lava." He turned to Donna "In a lava?" She glared at him "No?"

"No." Donna and Chris said at the same time.

"No." The Doctor reiterated before turning back to the peoples he was addressing, "But if I might beg the wisdom of the gods, before we perish, once this new race of creatures is complete, then what?"

"My masters will follow the example of Rome itself." Lucius told the group, "An almighty empire, bestriding the whole of civilisation."

"But if you've crashed, and you've got all this technology, why don't you just go home?" Donna asked looking between the Pyrovile and the Doctor.

"The Heaven of Pyrovillia is gone." Lucius shouted at the group

"What do you mean, "gone"? Where's it gone?" The Doctor asked, he looked at Chris for help but she just shook her head, he'd find out eventually.

"It was taken." Lucius explained, "Pyrovillia is lost. But there is heat enough in this world for a new species to rise."

"Yeah, I should warn you, it's 70% water out there." Chris quipped sarcastically, "Haven't you heard that water beats fire?"

"Water can boil." The Pyrovile said in his gravelly voice. "And everything will burn, Doctor.

"Then the whole planet is at stake." Chris said turning to the Doctor and gesturing towards the pod they had been standing next to. He nodded and Chris ushered Donna into the room.

"Thank you." The Doctor said faux pleasantly, "That's all I needed to know."

"You have them, My Lords!" Lucius was yelling as The Doctor sonicked the pod shut.

"Could we be any more trapped?" Donna quipped.

"Little bit hot." Chris said heavily, trying to fan herself to create a breeze. She really did not like heat.

"See?" The Doctor said, pointing to something that Chris, could in fact, not see, "The energy converter takes the lava, uses the power to create a fusion matrix, which welds Pyrovile to human. It's complete, they can convert millions."

"Can't you change it?" Donna asked, "With these controls?"

"Course I can, but don't you see? That's why the soothsayers can't see the volcano." The Doctor said, "There IS no volcano. Vesuvius is never going to erupt. The Pyrovile are stealing all its power, they'll use it to take over the world."

"But you can change it back?" Donna asked

"I can invert the system, set off the volcano, and blow them up, yes." The Doctor said, he looked over to see that Chris was trying to hide tears, "But that's the choice, Donna. It's Pompeii or the world."

"Oh, my God." Donna gasped.

"If Pompeii is destroyed then it's not just history." The Doctor said, finally connecting the dots. "It's me. I make it happen."

"But the Pyrovile are rocks, maybe they can't be blown up." Donna pointed out

"Vesuvius explodes with the force of 24 nuclear bombs." Chris said, her voice thick with tears, "Nothing can survive it. Certainly not us."

Both The Doctor and Donna were staring at Chris. Her nose was running, she was covered with dust and sweat, and she was looking at them with so much guilt that Donna could help but speak.

"Never mind us." Donna said to the Doctor, who got right to work.

"Push this lever and it's over." The Doctor said, not once looking at his companions while he worked.

The Doctor set his hands on the lever but didn't push.

"20,000 people." He said, Chris could feel her heart breaking.

After a moment of contemplation, and with tears in her eyes, Donna placed her hands on the lever. Chris would have joined them but she was feeling dizzy and her throat was constricting.

 _ **How the hell are The Doctor and Donna not dying in this heat?**_ Chris asked Rain, _**I mean, I'm over here with heat stroke and those two have barely broken a sweat.**_

 _They haven't recently crossed into an alternate universe and spent time in the void._ Rain told her, worry in her voice, _And it's not like you've been taking a break this past week. You're gonna work yourself to death._

Donna and the Doctor pulled the lever.

Everything started to shake and Chris closed her eyes and ducked down, covering her head. That didn't help her escape from any bruises but she was able to stay mostly in the same spot, unlike Donna and The Doctor who couldn't seem to find a point of balance.

After what felt like years they landed. When the door opened Chris found herself sprawled onto the ground. She looked up to see Donna and The Doctor staring at her, both of them looking worried.

"You alright?" Donna asked, she reached out a hand to help Chris up which she gladly took.

"It WAS an escape pod." The Doctor said as the ground started to shake.

"No shit Sherlock." Chris snapped before grabbing a hand each of The Doctor and Donna, "Now, might I suggest we run?"

* * *

The run back to Caecilius' house was treacherous and Chris fell several times. She found herself feeling jealous of the Doctor and Donna who both managed to stay upright the entire run back. Chris could hear the screams of the people they ran past and did her best to ignore them.

Chris lost sight of the Doctor and nearly started crying when she felt a hand grip her wrist.

"Come on," The Doctor yelled, pulling Chris after him.

There was debris and ash falling everywhere. When the two caught up to Donna she was trying to pick up a child only for him to be taken by his mother. Chris watched as Donna turned to the Doctor with tears in her eyes. He grabbed Donna's wrist with his free hand and pulled the two of them after him. He dropped their hands as they got closer to the Tardis.

"God save us, Doctor!" Caecilius called when he saw the Timelord.

The Doctor stopped and stared at the family, cowering in fear, for a few seconds. With a look of disgust in his eyes, disgust he felt for himself, the Doctor ran on.

Donna started to yell at him as Chris made her way to the family. She knelt in front of them, placing a hand on Evelina's arm and giving the rest of her family a reassuring smile.

"I swear on my life we'll be back." She told them before following Donna into the Tardis.

"You can't just LEAVE them!" Donna yelled at the Doctor

"Don't you think I've done enough?" The Doctor growled, "History's back in place. Everyone dies."

"You've got to go back." Donna yelled, "Doctor, I'm telling you, take this thing BACK! It's not fair."

Chris watched from her spot, leaning against the Tardis doors. She knew she had to let Donna convince him, but if something had changed and she couldn't then Chris would do her best to help. Until then she was just a spectator.

"No, it's not." The Doctor said, not looking at Donna

"But your own planet." Donna pointed out, "It burned."

"That's just it. Don't you see, Donna?" The Doctor said harshly, "Can't you understand? If I could go back and save them then I would, but I can't. I can never go back, I can't. I just can't, I can't."

"Just someone." Donna begged, "Please. Not the whole town. Just save someone."

Chris watched as the Doctor walked out of the control room. Donna collapsed against the jumpseat and Chris knew she needed to intervene. She didn't know what would happen if The Doctor didn't save these people, she just knew it would be bad."

"Have you come to rub it in?" The Doctor asked, his voice void of every emotion.

"Have I done that before?" Chris asked, worried that she had.

"Never," The Doctor said, "But I never know what to expect with you."

Chris knelt in front of the Doctor who had fallen to his knees shortly after leaving the control room. She placed her hand under his chin and forced him to look at her.

"I'm going to be honest with you," Chris said, "And I want you to be as honest with me as you possibly can. Do you think you can do that?"

The Doctor nodded and Chris smiled at him.

"I don't know you, Doctor. Not really. All I know is this man, this brave wonderful man that was portrayed by an actor on a television program that millions of people watch." Chris said, making sure The Doctor was following her, "I know that you can't possibly be exactly like that man. The Doctor that I know. That's not how it works. But I want to get to know you. I really do." Chris squeezed the Doctor's hand. "Now tell me, is this who you want me to know? Do you want me to know this man who refuses to save one family? That's all she's asking for."

"But-" The Doctor started and Chris covered his mouth.

"What are your hearts telling you to do, Doctor?" Chris asked, "do you really think it would be so bad if this one family lives?"

"Christi-Anna Marie Wesley," The Doctor said, now smiling brightly, "I don't know what I would ever do without you."

The Doctor quickly kissed Chris' forehead, making her freeze, before standing and running back into the control.

Chris was glad she'd changed his mind but the next time the Doctor did something like that without her permission she was going to punch the daylights out of him.

* * *

"It's never forgotten, Caecilius." The Doctor said as the group of four Pompeiinites and three time travelers watched the destruction of Pompeii from the hilltop. " Oh, time will pass, men will move on, and stories will fade. But one day, Pompeii will be found, again. In thousands of years. And everyone will remember you."

"What about you, Evelina?" Donna asked, walking forward to stand next to the girl, "Can you see anything?"

"The visions have gone." Evelina told them, not looking away from her burning city.

"The explosion was so powerful it cracked open a rift in time. Just for a second." The Doctor explained, "That's what gave you the gift of prophecy. It echoed back into the Pyrovillian alternative. But not any more. You're free."

"But tell me, who are you, Doctor, Chris?" Metella asked, "With your words, and your temple containing such size within?" She looked at the Doctor before turning to Chris, "And your knowledge of things beyond what a woman knows?"

"Oh, we were never here." Chris said with a smirk. And then, without any notice, she was gone.

"Where'd she go?" Metella asked, panicked.

The Doctor shrugged, he was used to Chris' coming and goings after knowing her for so long.

"She does that from time to time." He explained like it was nothing, "you get used to it."

"You're saying she just disappears?" Quintus asked, having watched as Chris disappeared.

"Yeah," The Doctor said seriously "Just don't tell anyone about us."

The four nodded absently, having turned their attention back to the burning city. The Doctor and his companion exchanged wary looks before they both started to back up towards the Tardis.

They listened closely as Caecilius coined the term 'volcano' then slipped into the tardis. Donna hung back a little as The Doctor made his way to the controls.

"Thank you." Donna said as The Doctor prepped the Tardis for take off.

"Yeah," The Doctor said. He watched Donna for a second before continuing, "You were right. Sometimes I need someone. Welcome aboard."

"Yeah." Donna said, a small smile playing on her lips.

The two stared at eachother before breaking out into grins. The Doctor pulled the lever, sending the Tardis into the void so that the both of them could get cleaned up.

"But you're not replacing Chris," The Doctor warned Donna seriously, "No one could possibly replace Chris."

"I know." Donna said, still grinning, "I don't think she'd even let me."

Donna wasn't sure what she thought of Chris. The fact that she appeared at random moments spooked the temp a little. Not to mention the exchanges the two had had the first time Donna met Chris. She knew enough about the girl to know that later in her timeline, apparently, she would be extremely possessive of the Doctor.

"Let you what?" Chris said, having popped back into the Tardis moments before. Her speaking made both the Doctor and Donna jump. "Do I do that a lot? Pop off and then pop back in like five minutes later?"

"Not really." The Doctor said, watching Chris closely. "You alright though? You were looking pale earlier."

Chris frowned, taking in her physical well being. She was dehydrated and in need of a good shower. And maybe a week long nap. She expressed as much to the Doctor and he chuckled as he led Chris into the Tardis to show her to her room.

* * *

A/N: There you have it, the Fires of Pompeii: Part Two! This isn't my favorite episode with Donna but it was definitely fun to write. Let me know what you think, what episodes you want to see, any questions you might have, any concerns.


	10. The Impossible Planet: Part One

Not that she would ever admit it to anyone but when Chris woke up to tentacles in her face she screamed like a twelve-year-old girl. She had fallen asleep in the library of the Tardis after a shower and a relaxing meal with only The Doctor since Donna had been sleeping. They had only talked a little when Chris mentioned she wanted to see the library.

The Doctor obliged reluctantly, knowing he wouldn't be able to talk to Chris for a few hours. She had gone through a book on the differences between drama and literature and had been asleep for ten minutes when she had popped off.

After seeing that her only threat was an empathetic apology Chris relaxed. Automatically she was picking up vibes from the Ood that were surrounding her but Chris wasn't going to let that take away from her excitement.

She was with the Ood!

A thought popped into her head, courtesy of Rain, that destroyed her excitement. Rain had reminded Chris that none of the adventures that involved the Ood were pleasant. And after her experience in Pompeii Chris wasn't sure she was up for it.

Chris looked around for an exit and found one on the other side of the room. With care, Chris shouldered her way to the exit and tried to open the door. She started to panic when the door wouldn't open.

 _Sonic_ Rain reminded the girl gently.

"Oh," Chris muttered.

She took her bag off and rummaged through it for a few seconds before pulling out the sonic. As soon as the sonic was out and she was getting ready to use it the door opened. Rian was pushed through by an Ood, who immediately apologized. She was barely able to grab her bag off the floor.

"Chris get back," A voice, belonging to the tenth doctor, said. He sounded both worried and upset, a feat that Chris was sure only he could manage.

Chris looked over to see the Doctor armed with his sonic and Rose Tyler armed with a chair.

"Get back from the Ood?" Chris asked to which the Doctor nodded, "the Ood Ood? Why would I do that?"

Chris realized then that the Ood were chanting 'we must feed'. She pointed to the translation orb, almost with disgust, then up to the Ood it was connected too.

"You may want to fix that," Chris suggested. The Ood listened to her, he tapped the translation orb on his hand then tried again.

"We must feed you if you are hungry," The Ood offered, finally getting the translation orb to work properly.

"See, perfectly harmless, the Ood. Well, mostly." Chris told them before she was suddenly enveloped in a hug by none other than Rose Tyler. Chris froze, unsure of what to do. She didn't really want to offend Rose but she also didn't actually know Rose and she didn't particularly enjoy hugs. "Uh, Rose?"

"Sorry," Rose apologized letting Chris go, "I honestly thought you were going to die."

"Nah," Chris said, stuffing her hands in the pockets on her jeans, "That sounds boring."

"We apologize," The head Ood offered, "Electromagnetics have interfered with speech systems. Would you like some refreshment?"

"Uh," The Doctor said, looking to Chris for advice. Chris nodded, understanding that The Doctor wanted her assurance that the Ood were safe, "What the hell."

The three of them followed the Ood, Rose next to Chris and The Doctor behind them. The Doctor wasn't looking at Chris and it was confusing. He obviously knew who she was but he didn't seem to want to have anything to do with her. It was almost like he was angry, which just confused her even more seeing as this was only her third time meeting The Doctor.

"So where have you been in recent times," Rose asked curiously, drawing Chris out of her thoughts.

"The future." Rian told her, with a shrug, she wasn't entirely sure what she was allowed to, or supposed to, talk about. "I don't think I should talk about it, really. Spoilers and all."

"Just the future?" Rose asked, she definitely sounded sadder than she had a moment before, "Only the future."

"Yeah," Chris nodded, shoving her hands into the pockets of her coat.

"So this is the first time you've met me?" Rose asked. Chris nodded.

Rose stopped walking and turned to Chris who was watching her in confusion.

"Hello, m' name is Rose Tyler, 's a pleasure to meet you," Rose said with her tongue in tooth grin, extending a hand for Chris to shake.

"Chris Wesley, the pleasure is mine." Chris taking Rose's hand and giving her a wink.

"Do you have to flirt with everyone?" The Doctor asked suddenly, almost glaring at Chris.

"Jealous?" Chris asked before turning and walking away, leaving an offended Doctor and a laughing Rose behind her.

* * *

Chris was surprised that they hadn't run into anyone. On the show, it had happened almost immediately. Then again, TV shows had a run time, hours could be shown in seconds.

She shook her head as she, Rose, The Doctor, and some of the Ood entered an empty room. She looked around at the dust before noticing the writing on the wall. This was where everything had started in the TV show, Chris realized.

"Welcome to Hell," Chris read aloud, looking at the writing that was written in black ink.

"It's not that bad," The Doctor said, the first words he had spoken since Chris' earlier comment.

"No, Doc, look." She pointed to the writing on the wall. It was unnerving, seeing it in person.

 **Open door 18.** An electronic voice called out, drawing Chris' attention to the door.

The Doctor and Rose turned to look at writing as the door opened to reveal another person. He looked at the trio in shock, obviously not expecting there to be anyone there. Two guards followed the man into the room.

"What the hell?" He remarked, looking at the unplanned guests. "How did?" He slowly brought his com-device that was attached to his wrist to his mouth, not looking away from the humans and the time lord.

"Captain, you're not gonna believe this. We've got people. Out of nowhere. I mean real people. I mean three living people, just standing here right in front of me."

"Don't be stupid." A voice sounded out of the com-device, "That's impossible."

"I suggest telling them that." The man countered.

"He did say he wouldn't believe him," Chris murmured to Rose, causing the girl to giggle.

"But you're a space base. You must have visitors." Rose observed, "It can't be that impossible."

"Are you telling me you don't know where you are?" The man asked, now worried about the mental stability of the people in front of him.

"No idea!" The Doctor told him with a cheeky grin.

"More fun, that way!" Chris chimed in energetically, choosing to ignore the fact that she knew exactly where they were.

"Stand by, everyone. Buckle down. We have incoming. 'And it's a big one. Quake 0.5 on its way." A different voice warned through the com. The group of them shared a look before the man gestured frantically at the door he had come through.

"Through here. Now." The three of them followed the man and the guards as he kept yelling at them to run. Chris made sure Rose was in front of her as the Doctor followed behind the group. "Quickly! Come on. Move! Keep moving! Keep moving! Come on! Move it!"

Chris wasn't used to running that much or that fast and was panting by the time they reached the main console room. She placed her arms on her head as she attempted to catch her breath.

 _ **I need to start going on runs in my free time**_. She told Rain who just chuckled at her.

"Oh, my God, you meant it. People." A woman exclaimed, obviously shocked by their presence, "Look at that! Real people"

"That's us." The Doctor said cheerfully, carefully assessing the six other people in the console room, "Hooray!"

"Yeah, definitely real," Rose confirmed, sharing a look with The Doctor. Chris set her bag down on the ground and rolled her shoulders.

"Well, last time I checked, at least, it's been a time since that happened." Chris started to ramble, "I really should check again, just to be safe."

"My name's Rose, Rose Tyler," The blonde Brit said after rolling her eyes at Chris, land this is the Doctor. And the chatterbox is Chris Wesley."

"Come on, the oxygen must be offline." Another man said.

Chris was going to need introductions soon or everyone would be getting randomly assigned names.

"We're hallucinating, they can't be."

He reached out and grabbed Chris's' arm to confirm that they were real. She hadn't been expecting the touch and had reacted on instinct, grabbing the man's arm and quickly twisting it behind his back.

"Oh, shit, I'm so sorry," Chris said as soon as she realized what she had done. She looked around to see everyone in different states of distress, "it's instinct now and I really can't control it. Are you okay?"

"They're real!" The man said after giving Chris a reassuring smile. Though the way he was rubbing his shoulder didn't have her convinced.

"Come on, we're in the middle of an alert." The man, obviously the captain, reminded, "Danny, strap up, the quake's coming in. Impact in 30 seconds. Sorry, you three, whoever you are, just hold on. Tight!"

"Hold on to what?" Roses demanded, looking around the control room.

"Anything." The captain said, "I don't care, just hold on. Ood, are we fixed?"

Chris grabbed a hand each of the Doctor and Rose and led them to the stairs leading out of the room. She let them latch onto the railing before joining them and bracing herself for impact.

"Your kindness in this emergency is much appreciated." The leader of the Ood responded.

"What's this planet called, anyway?" The Doctor asked, having no sense of timing, a trait Chris knew wasn't going to go away.

"Don't be stupid." One of the women answered, "It hasn't got a name. How could it have a name?" The Doctor merely raised a confused brow in response. "You really don't know, do you?"

"And." The captain interrupted and Chris took that as her cue to tighten her grip and close her eyes, she never liked earthquakes, and this was much worse than an earthquake, "impact!"

The room shook with abandon and Chris gripped the rail, afraid to let go, even as the quakes started to subside. She knew that quakes always came in pairs. The Doctor, evidently, had forgotten that fact.

"Oh, well." The Doctor said, releasing the bar, "That wasn't so."

Chris felt a sharp pain near her eye when the Doctor lost his footing. She let go of the bar with one hand to create a shield between her face and the bony alien's elbow. She felt a trickle of something warm on her lip and let out a sigh.

"That's it." The captain said after the second quake has subsided, "Everyone all right? Speak to me, Ida?"

"Yeah, yeah." Ida, an older woman with dark hair pulled back into a bun, responded.

"Danny?"

"Fine." The man Chris had manhandled said.

"Toby?"

"Fine." A young man responded

"Scooti?"

"No damage" the woman that had spoken to them upon their entering the control room told.

"Jefferson?" Was the final person to be called for.

"Check!" The man who had first found them called.

"We're fine, thanks." The Doctor remarked sarcastically, unfolding himself from the position he had found himself in. "Don't worry about us."

"Speak for yourself," Chris quipped, plugging her nose to prevent getting blood on her clothes.

The Doctor looked over at Chris, a look of guilt forming onto his features as he knelt in front of her. He pulled a handkerchief out of his pockets and handed it to her. She accepted it gratefully and raised it to her nose.

"Surface caved in." The captain informed the group, "I deflected it onto Storage five through eight, we've lost them completely. Toby, go and check the rocket link."

"That's not my department." Toby protested.

"Just do as I say, yeah?" The captain said in a tone that said any more arguments would be ignored. Toby reluctantly exited the room.

"Oxygen holding. Internal gravity at 56.6. We should be OK." Ida said, checking over the stats, as The Doctor continue to help Chris stop her nose bleeding.

"Tell me, Doc," Chris started in a voice that was clearly teasing, "am I gonna live?"

The Doctor just shook his head before his attention was drawn to Rose who had been silent since the earthquake. She was staring down at her hands quizzically like she was trying to figure something out.

"Never mind the earthquake, that's. That's one hell of a storm." The Doctor said, shoving his hands into his pocket and giving that shrug that indicated he was trying to get information.

"What is that, a hurricane?" Rose asked, suddenly zoning back into the world around her.

"You need an atmosphere for a hurricane," Ida informed him, "There's no air out there. It's a complete vacuum."

"Then what's shaking the roof?" Rose asked, raising a brow at the woman.

"You're not joking. You really don't know." Ida realized, "Well. Introductions. FYI, as they said in the olden days, I'm Ida Scott, Science Officer." She gestured to the black man who was obviously in charge, "Zachary Cross Flane, Acting Captain, sir!" Next she pointed to the older man that had gotten them to the control room, "you've met Mr. Jefferson, he's Head of Security." Next was a man of Indian descent, "Danny Bartock, Ethics Committee."

"Not as boring as it sounds." Danny quipped with a wink at Rose who blushed shyly.

"And that man who just left, that's Toby Zed, Archaeology, and this." She pulled Scooti into an affectionate side hug, "is Scooti Manista, Trainee Maintenance, and this," She gestured vaguely to their surroundings before pulling a lever that controlled a metal shield over the window, "This is home."

"Brace yourselves. The sight of it sends some people mad." Captain Zach warned

The cover on the window was lifted to reveal the impossible. And that was coming from Chris, who was living the impossible. There was no way the endless expanse of black with dots of color could exist. And yet, there it was. Chris knew the reason, the creature in the pit, but still, seeing it first hand was an experience that kept all of her previous knowledge at bay.

"That's a black hole." The Doctor said after a moment, glancing at Chris and then to Ida, "That's impossible."

"I did warn you," Zach said with some amusement.

"We're standing under a black hole! In orbit." The Doctor reiterated "We can't be."

"You can see for yourself," Ida commented, "We're in orbit."

"But we can't be." The Doctor repeated. Chris shook her head, removing the cloth from her nose and wiping up excess blood before standing up.

"Doc," She said, drawing his attention to her, "It's possible."

"This lump of rock is suspended in perpetual geostationary orbit around that black hole without falling in," Ida said with a nod to Chris who was currently having a staring contest with the Doctor.

"And that's bad, yeah?" Rose said, gaining the attention of Chris who walked over to wrap an arm around her shoulder.

"Bad doesn't cover it." The Doctor said with a shake of his head, "A black hole's a dead star, it collapses in on itself, in and in and in, until the matters so dense and tight it starts to pull everything else in too. Nothing in the universe can escape it. Light, gravity, time everything gets pulled inside. And crushed."

"So there can't be an orbit?" Rose asked, trying to make sure she understood, "We should be pulled right in?"

"We should be dead." The Doctor confirmed

Ida added solemnly: "And yet here we are, beyond the laws of physics. Welcome on board."

"But if there's no atmosphere out there, what's that?" Rose asked referring to the brightly colored clouds out the window.

"Stars breaking up. Gas clouds." Ida told her, "We have whole solar systems being ripped apart above our heads, before falling into that thing."

"So a bit worse than a storm, then?" Rose asked. Chris tightened her arm around Rose's shoulder and the blonde leaned into her side.

"Just a bit," Ida confirmed

"Just a bit, yeah," Rose repeated

* * *

"What's its name?" Chris asked from her spot on the ground next to Rose who was leaning her head on Chris's shoulder.

The door to the room opened and Toby walked in. The door slid closed behind him and he reported that the link to the rocket was in proper working condition.

"That's the black hole, officially designate Gem 5. In the scriptures of the Veltino, this planet's called Krop Tor." Ida informed them as Zach pulled up a hologram for them to look at, "The bitter pill. And the black hole is supposed to be a mighty demon who was tricked into devouring the planet only to spit it out because it was poison."

"The Bitter Pill." Rose grinned, "I like that."

"We're so far out. Lost in the drifts of the universe." The Doctor said, "How did you even get here?"

"We flew in, d'you see?" Ida pointed to a column on the hologram, "This planet's generating a gravity field. We don't know how we've no idea. But it's kept in a constant balance against the black hole. And the field extends out there, as a funnel, a distinct. gravity funnel, reaching out into clear space. That was our way in."

"You flew down that thing?" The Doctor asked incredulously.

"Like a rollercoaster. By rights, the ship should've been torn apart." Zach informed, " We lost the captain, which is what put me in charge."

"And you're doing a good job," Ida told him with a kind smile.

"Yeah, well. Needs must." Zach shrugged off the compliment.

"But if that gravity funnel closes, there's no way out." Danny reminded,

"Oh, we have fun speculating about that." Scooti inputted

"Yeah, that's the word, fun," Danny remarked sarcastically.

"But that field would take phenomenal amounts of power." The Doctor said, walking over to the command computer, "Not just big, but off the scale! Can I?"

"Sure, help yourself." Zach gave him permission and The Doctor got straight to work.

"Your refreshments." An Ood said, offering Chris and Rose a cup each of tea. Chris took a sip of hers and grimaced. There was too much sugar.

"Oh, yeah, thanks," Rose said, shaking out of her thoughts, "Thank you! I'm sorry, what was your name?"

"We have no titles." The Ood told her, "We are as one."

"Um." Rose wasn't quite sure how to respond to that.

Chris stood and walked over to the Doctor, cradling the warm cup in her hands but not drinking the sugary drink. She had no idea what he was doing but that was half of the beauty of it. Just watching the Time Lord work was something Chris could get used to doing.

"What are they called?" Rose asked Danny after she watched the Ood walk off.

"Oh, come on! Where've you been living?" Danny asked, "Everyone's got one!"

"Well, not me," Rose informed him with a cheeky smile, "So what are they?"

"They're the Ood," Danny told her.

"The Ood?"

"The Ood," Danny confirmed

"That's Ood." Rose smirked.

"Very Ood." Danny agreed, "But handy! They work the mine shaft, all the drilling and stuff, supervision and maintenance. They're born for it. Basic slave race."

"You've got slaves?" Rose asked, startled.

Only The Doctor noticed Chris stiffen at the mention of the Ood being a slave race. She took a deep breath, trying not to start anything.

"Don't start!" Scooti shared a look with Danny, "She's like one of that lot, the Friends of the Ood."

"Well, maybe I am, yeah," Rose said, making Chris let out a small smile, "Since when did humans need slaves?"

"But the Ood offer themselves," Danny explained, "If you don't give them orders, they just pine away and die."

"Seriously?" Rose questioned before turning to address an Ood, "You like being ordered about?"

"It is all we crave." The Ood said. Chris couldn't help but let out a shudder, The Doctor shot her a worried look that she ignored.

"Why's that, then?" Rose asked.

"We have nothing else in life." The Ood told her.

"Yeah, well. I used to think like that. Long time ago." Rose said looking over at her two friends with a grateful smile.

"There we go!" The Doctor exclaimed, wanting to change the topic, noticing that it was upsetting Chris. "D'you see? To generate that gravity field and the funnel you need a power source with an inverted self-extrapolating reflex of six to the power of six every six seconds."

"That's a lot of sixes," Rose commented, coming up to stand beside Chris.

"And it's impossible." The Doctor said, looking at Chris meaningfully. She shook her head, letting him know that she couldn't read his expressions.

"It took us two years to work that out," Zach said, looking at the Doctor in wonder

"I'm very good." The Doctor shrugged.

 _Not to mention humble_ , Rain added. The Doctor winked at Chris.

"But that's why we're here," Ida said, pointing to a spot on the hologram map, "This power source is ten miles below, through solid rock. Point Zero. We're drilling down to try and find it. It's giving off readings of over could revolutionize modern science."

"We could use it to fuel the Empire," Jefferson added

"Or start a war." The Doctor muttered and Chris couldn't help but agree.

"It's buried beneath us. In the darkness." Toby added, his voice dark, "Waiting."

"What's your job?" Rose asked after a beat, "Chief dramatist?"

"Whatever it is down there, it's not a natural phenomenon." Toby continued, voice back to normal "This, er, planet once supported life, eons ago, before the human race had even learned to walk."

"I saw that lettering on the wall." The Doctor told him, "Did you do that?"

"I copied it from fragments we've found, unearthed by the drilling," Toby said, a gleam of excitement in his eye, "I can't translate it."

"No, neither can I." The Doctor said, "And that's saying something."

"There was some form of civilization. They buried something." Toby said, "And now it's reaching out, calling us in."

"And you came." The Doctor stated.

"How could we not?" Ida shrugged.

"So when it comes right down to it, why did you come here?" The Doctor said getting excited, "Why did you do that? Why? I'll tell you why. Because it was there! Brilliant! Scuse me. Er, Zach, wasn't it?"

"That's me," Zach said with a confused smile

"Just stand there, cos I'm gonna." The Doctor moved closer to Zach opening his arms a little but giving him the chance to move away, "hug you. Is that alright?"

"Suppose so." Zach shrugged

"Here we go. Coming in." The Doctor said, wrapping Zach in a hug "Human beings. You are amazing! Ha! Thank you."

"Not at all," Zach said as The Doctor released him.

"But apart from that, you're completely mad." The Doctor said, sobering suddenly, "You should pack your bags, get on that ship and fly for your lives!"

"You can talk." Ida bristled, "How the hell did you get here?"

"I've got this, er, um," The Doctor said.

"He's got a ship," Chris interrupted, speaking for the first time in awhile, "it teleports. We can show you."

"We parked down the corridor from uh." The Doctor looked to Chris for help, "what's it called?"

"Habitation area." Chris supplied with a smirk before looking to Rose, prompting her to answer with a raised brow.

"Three." Rose offered

"Three." The Doctor repeated with a smirk of his own.

"D'you mean Storage Six?" Zach asked and Chris frowned

"It was a bit of a cupboard, yeah." The Doctor said, "Storage Six? But you said. You said. You said Storage Five to Eight."

The Doctor took off, Chris on his heels. At each door, he would get more and more frantic. Chris wasn't sure what to do. She didn't know how the Doctor would react when he realized that Chris had known that this was going to happen. Hopefully, he wouldn't create too much of a scene.

"What is it, what's wrong?" Rose called, running after the two.

 **Open door 19.**

 **Close Door 19.**

"Come on!" The Doctor growled when the doors weren't opening fast enough for him.

 **Open door 17.**

 **Open door 15.**

 **Door 16 out of commission.**

"It can't be!" The Doctor yelled.

"What's wrong?" Rose asked, catching up to them "What is it? Doctor, the Tardis is in there what's happened?"

"The Tardis has gone." Chris panted, she tried to keep her breathing under control.

 **Door 16, out of commission.**

"The earthquake. This section collapsed." The Doctor said, choosing to ignore Chris. He wasn't mad really, more disappointed than anything. Chris knew how important the Tardis was to him but she hadn't even warned him that something was going to happen to the only thing he had left of home.

"But it's got to be out there somewhere," Rose said, moving to stand next to the Doctor. She shot Chris a worried look before looking to the Doctor again.

"Look down." The Doctor said, pointing at where the Tardis was floating in the distance.

The Doctor took a deep breath before turning to Chris. Only she wasn't there. He shook his head. He was slowly getting more and more angry with the girl. They had talked about this before, how she needed to warn him when things were going to get bad. And this was pretty bad as far as things went.

It completely slipped his mind that she had only been in his future.

He stalked down the hall, intent on finding Chris and having a word with her.

Except when he found her all thoughts of his stern words flew out of his head.

Chris was on the ground down the hall with her arms wrapped around her head. She was rocking back and forth with tears running down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." The Doctor heard her mutter and he knelt next to her, making sure to give her space. He'd made the mistake of touching her during a panic attack before.

"Chris," The Doctor said gently, "It's okay, I'm not angry. I promise."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Chris continued to mutter, not acknowledging the Doctor's presence.

She knew he was there though she couldn't bring herself to respond. While one part of her understood that he was telling the truth, that he wasn't angry, a larger part of her was blaming herself.

"Chris," The Doctor called again, "I need you to breath with me."

Chris continued to mutter the mantra she had learned all those years ago. The words soon became a comfort to her. Though her breathing was still coming in quick gasps.

"I'm going to hug you now." The Doctor warned before gently wrapping his arms around her. Chris tensed before melting into the embrace. She focused on the double beating of his hearts and his steady breathing. Using the sounds as anchors against her growing panic.

 **You're okay, Chris** His voice sounded in her head, a calm radiating from where his mental presence had brushed hers.

Chris couldn't respond. The panic had pushed Rain to the back of her mind and was forcing her to shrink in on herself. The sudden realization that Chris was hurting Rain stopped her mind from thinking. She went silent and closed her eyes.

 _ **I am so sorry, Rain.**_ Chris apologized silently, _ **I am so, so, sorry.**_

 _You can't control it, Chris_. Rain said to Chris, accepting the apology gracefully.

Chris? The Doctor sounded worried and that's when Chris realized he had been trying to get her attention verbally.

She opened her eyes slowly to be greeted with concerned brown ones closer than she had expected, causing her to startle. She let out a sheepish smile before pulling away from the Doctor in order to address him properly.

"I'm good now," She said with as much of a smile as she could currently muster, "well, I will be. After a nap and a good cup of tea."

"Are you sure?" The Doctor asked, his voice gentle, "because you know it's okay if you're not, right?"

Chris leaned in and gave him a squeeze before shifting away so that she could stand up. The Doctor was up before her and offered her a hand. She accepted it and was lifted into another hug.

 **I hate seeing you like that.** The Doctor told her.

 _I hate being like that._ Rain responded for Chris.

The Doctor squeezed a little tighter before letting Chris go. She gave him a grateful smile before looking around to see where they were. She saw no signs of Rose and was grateful that the girl hadn't stayed there to witness her like that.

Once The Doctor was sure that Chris would be alright he grabbed her hand and led her back to the control room. He became a little more tense with each step. Chris had distracted him from the state that his Tardis was in but now he was starting to worry.

"She's gonna be fine," Chris said. The Doctor looked at her in confusion but she just smiled at him instead of repeating.

"The ground gave way." The Doctor said upon entering the control room, "My Tardis must've fallen right into the heart of the planet, but you've robot drills heading the same way."

"We can't divert the drilling," Zach informed him.

"But I need my ship! It's all I've got! Literally, the only thing!" The Doctor said and Chris knew what he was talking about. She gave the hand that was still holding hers a gentle squeeze.

"Doctor, we've only got the resources to dig one central shaft down to the power source, and that's it," Zach said, "No diversions, no distractions, no exceptions. Your machine is lost. All I can do is offer you a lift if we ever get to leave this place. And that's the end of it."

"I'll put you on the duty roster." Ida offered giving the Doctor an awkward pat on the shoulder, "We need someone in the laundry." Ida left the room and the rest of them awkwardly followed, leaving Chris, The Doctor and Rose alone.

"Ah yes," Chris said, not even bothering to hide the sarcasm, "I've traveled this far with only doing laundry in mind, that's all I've ever wanted in life."

"I've trapped you here." The Doctor apologized to Rose, who had her arms wrapped around her middle.

"No, don't worry about me," Rose said, her voice thick.

The Doctor gave her a look

"Okay," Rose conceded, "We're on a planet that shouldn't exist, underneath a black hole, with no way out. Yeah changed my mind. Start worrying about me."

The Doctor enveloped Rose in a hug which she gratefully returned. It was only the opening and closing of the door that alerted the Doctor to Chris leaving the room. Rose gave him a small smile and a nod of the head and he kissed her forehead before leaving the room to find Chris.

Chris walked down the hall with her bag on her shoulders. She wanted to get a better sense of the layout of the base. She wasn't sure how long they would actually be there. Her sense of time was getting better but she still thought of certain events in terms of dramatic time, rather than real time.

She continued to wander only to find herself in the room where they 'stored' the Ood. She studied them before setting down her bag and sitting tailor-style on the ground. She leaned forward on the platform, letting Rain commune with the Ood, who were all staring at her.

Chris heard the Doctor enter the room but didn't turn to face him. She was paying more attention to what Rain was saying. It occurred to her that with the creature in the pit talking to the Ood was not the brightest plan but they were an interesting species that she had always wanted to know more about.

"Did you know that they sing?" Chris asked, her voice quiet.

"What do you mean?" The Doctor asked, moving further into the room. He sank to the floor next to Chris, looking out over the Ood.

"The Ood, their song is beautiful." She looked over at the Doctor, tears in her eyes, "They're not singing right now."

The Doctor looked out at the Ood before looking back at Chris with understanding in his eyes. He sometimes forgot how astute Chris was at telepathic connections, especially with the more empathetic species.

"And you know why, don't you?" The Doctor asked sensing that there was more to the conversation that she was saying.

"Yes. I know it gets fixed but still. I don't know when that's going to be for me and the fact that I can't do anything right this minute hurts." Chris closed her eyes, "how do you deal with not being able to help?"

"I do what I can to help someone else," The Doctor said, his voice gentle, "you won't be able to save everyone."

Chris sat in silence, listening to the murmur of Rain talking with the Ood. She wasn't able to understand them, but it seemed that Rain could.

"I'm going to go check on Rose," The Doctor told her after a moment. He stood up and waited for a response from the woman.

"Try the cafeteria," Chris offered, "I'm going to stay here for a bit. I'm still kind of processing."

"Alright, if you need me then I'm sure you'll figure out a way to find me." The Doctor said before exiting the room, leaving Chris with the Ood.

* * *

 **A/N: (Edited)! Hello all! I was able to edit this, turns out you can watch Doctor Who on Amazon Prime (who knew?)**


	11. The Impossible Planet: Part Two

"Zach, we got a problem?" Ida demanded through her wrist com when the lights of Habitation three flickered.

"No more than usual." Was Zach's reply, "We've just got the Scarlet System burning up. Might be worth a look."

"You might want to see this." Ida said to Rose and The Doctor, going over to the controls, "Moment in history." The shield lifted revealing the expanse of blackness, on the edge, there was a speck of red, "There. On the edge. That red cloud. That used to be the Scarlet System. Home to the Pallushi, a mighty civilization spanning a billion years disappearing. Forever, their planets and suns, consumed. Ladies and gentlemen, we have witnessed its passing."

"No, could you leave it open?" The Doctor requested when Ida went to lower the shield, "Just for a bit? I won't go mad, I promise."

"How would you know?" Ida questioned sarcastically, but she left it up for The Doctor, figuring it wouldn't hurt. "Scooti, check the lockdown." Ida ordered, "Jefferson, sign off the airlock seals for me."

 **Open door 18.** The computerized voice called out as the three crew members left Rose and the Doctor alone in the room.

"I've seen films and things, yeah." Rose commented from her spot across from the Doctor, "They say black holes are like gateways to another universe."

 **Close Door 18.**

"Not that one." The Doctor informed her gently, grabbing her hand to offer her some comfort, "It just eats."

They were silent for a moment, both of their thoughts drifting to the lost Tardis.

"Long way from home," Rose said with a shiver, The Doctor wrapped his arm around her shoulder, rubbing it gently, the same way an older Chris had done for him many times.

"Go that way." The Doctor said, pointing with his free hand," Turn right. Keep going for, er, about 500 years; then you'll reach the Earth."

"No signal," Rose said after checking her phone. "That's the first time we've gone out of range. Mind you, even if I could. What would I tell her?" She looked at the Doctor hopefully, "Can you build another Tardis?"

"They were grown, not built. And with my home planet gone." He gave a mediocre shrug, "we're kind of stuck."

"Well, could be worse." Rose said attempting to be optimistic, "This lot said they'd give us a lift."

"And then what?" The Doctor asked curiously.

"I dunno." Rose shrugged, "Find a planet. Get a job. Live a life. Same as the rest of the universe."

"I'd have to settle down." The Doctor shuddered letting his arm drop, "Get a house or something. A proper house with, with doors and things. Carpets! Me! Living in a house! Now, THAT, that. That is terrifying!"

"You'd have to get a mortgage!" Rose teased.

"No!"

"Oh, yes!"

"I'm dying." The Doctor groaned, "That's it, I'm dying, it's all over."

"What about me? I'd have to get one, too!" Rose said before continuing shyly, "I dunno, could be the same one, we could both. I dunno, share. You, me and Chris when she's here, Or not.

Whatever. I dunno. All sorts of… Anyway! We'll see."

"I promised Jackie I'd always take you back home." The Doctor informed her.

"Everyone leaves home in the end," Rose said with a shrug.

"Not to end up stuck here." The Doctor countered.

"Yeah, but stuck with you and Chris, that's not so bad," Rose smiled

"Yeah?" The Doctor asked smugly.

"Yes," Rose said before looking at her phone in confusion as it started to ring. She picked up and nearly dropped it as a deep voice announced:

"He is awake."

* * *

It was the sound of the door opening that woke Chris up. She blinked blearily up at the face of Danny, who was currently smirking at her. She gave him a small smile before sitting up and stretching.

"Have a nice nap?" Danny asked, helping Chris standing up.

"Yeah, actually. I haven't been getting much sleep lately," Chris told him with a smile, "and I've recently changed my exercise plan on top of that. I used to avoid running at all costs, and now it seems to be all I'm doing, and I'm rambling, aren't I?"

"Just a bit." Danny informed her with an amused smile, "it's not a problem, though. After being around the Ood, any conversation is appreciated."

"Really? I think they make for great conversationalists." Chris said with a hint of a smirk.

"You're not one for those Friends of the Ood, are you?" Danny asked, almost in disgust.

Chris raised an eyebrow, "and if I am?"

Danny sighed before murmuring, "why is it always the good looking ones?"

Chris smirked, she was in no way attracted to Danny, but that didn't mean that she couldn't have a little bit of fun. She leaned against the rail next to the controls that Danny was working at. He glanced at her briefly but then turned back to the controls.

"So I'm good looking then?" She questioned playfully. He started to flounder, and she chuckled good-naturedly, "Hey man, it's alright. Oh and, just so you know you'd be a lot more attractive if you didn't treat living creatures like slaves."

With that, Chris pushed herself away from the rail and nearly, but not quite, stalked to the door. It was then that Rose and The Doctor ran into the room. Rose looked uncomfortably out of breath while the Doctor had barely broken a sweat.

"Oh," Chris said, startled by their sudden appearance, "hello."

"Hi," The Doctor said, steadying Chris with an arm around the waist. He let her go quickly before addressing Danny, "evening."

"Just us," Rose added with a smile.

"Ah, parts two and three of the mysterious trio," Danny said with a wink at Chris who wrinkled her nose in distaste. "How are you then? Settling in?"

"Yeah. Sorry, straight to business, the Ood how do they communicate?" The Doctor said, upset at Danny's blatant flirting, it was not the time for such things, "I mean, with each other."

"Oh, just empaths. There's a low-level telepathic field connecting them." Danny informed them, "Not that that does them much good. They're basically a herd race. Like cattle."

"This telepathic field. Can it pick up messages?" The Doctor asked curiously.

"Because I was having dinner, and one of the Ood said something, well, odd," Rose informed him.

"Hmm. An odd Ood." Danny joked, wincing a bit at the glare he received from Chris.

"And then I got something else on my er, communicator thing," Rose added, ignoring Danny's comment.

"Well, be fair. We've got whole star systems burning up around us. There's all sorts of stray transmissions. Probably nothing." Danny led them to the controls, Chris stayed beside the Doctor, carefully watching the Ood, "Look, if there were something wrong, it would show. We monitor the telepathic field. It's the only way to look after them. They're so stupid; they don't even tell us when they're ill."

"It's probably more like you don't know what the hell you're looking for." Chris said snidely, "they're a telepathic species, they don't use words to communicate illness. They don't tell you because they can't. Don't mistake something being nonverbal for unintelligence."

"Monitor the field." The Doctor repeated, drawing the attention away from Chris, "That's this thing?"

"Yeah, but like I said, it's low-level telepathy." Danny informed, slowly turning to look at The Doctor, "they only register basic 5."

"That's not basic 5." The Doctor said, reading the monitor while trying not to glance at Chris in concern. "10. They've gone up to basic 30."

"But they can't!" Danny protested watching the monitor with The Doctor.

"Doctor, the Ood," Rose said fearfully, drawing The Doctor's attention to the Ood, who were staring at the group on the platform.

"What does basic 30 mean?" The Doctor asked watching the Ood.

"It means that they're shouting," Danny said lowly, "Screaming inside their heads."

"Or something's shouting at them," The Doctor countered walking to the rail of the platform, putting a comforting hand on Chris' shoulder. He glanced at her in surprise when she leaned into it instead of moving away like he had been expecting.

"But where's it coming from?" Danny asked turning to Rose "What's it saying? What did it say to you?"

"Something about the 'beast' and the 'pit,'" Rose told the man.

"What about your communicator, what did that say?" Danny continued, trying to make sense of the situation.

"He is awake," Rose said,

"And you will worship him." All of the Ood said at the same time. Chris cringed at the sound of it, leaning on The Doctor's side, trying to draw comfort from the Time Lord.

"What the hell?" Danny gasped

"He is awake," The Doctor repeated to test something.

"And you will worship him," The Ood demanded

"Worship who?" The Doctor asked. There was no response, so he continued, "Who's talking to you? Who is it?"

"Doctor," Chris said as she stepped away from the Time Lord's side, "they're not going to answer that."

The Doctor opened his mouth to reply, but he was interrupted by a loud alarm and flashing red lights as the base shook.

 _ **Emergency, hull breach. Emergency, hull breach. Emergency, hull breach.**_ The computerized voice of the mainframe repeated.

"Which section?" Danny demanded, running to the control panel in the room.

"Everyone, evacuate The Base is open, repeat, the Base is open!" Zach demanded, his voice causing the call of the mainframe to lower in volume.

The four in the Ood habitation had exchanged looks before The Doctor grabbed Chris' hand, forcing the young woman to follow him as he took off towards the control room.

"I can't contain the oxygen field; we're gonna lose it!" Zach yelled into the comm as the group ran through door nineteen.

"Come on! Keep Moving!" Jefferson yelled, encouraging Toby to hustle through the door that he needed to close to seal the breach. The young man ran through, and Jefferson shoved the door shut.

 **Breach sealed. Breach sealed.** The computer announced, and everyone let out a sigh of relief.

"What happened?" The Doctor demanded, slightly panicked, "What was it?"

"Hull breach," Jefferson explained, "We were open to the elements. Another minute, we'd be inspecting that black hole close up."

"That wasn't a quake, what caused it?" The Doctor emphasized he felt a hand squeeze his and looked over at Chris in surprise; he hadn't realized that he'd still been holding her hand.

"We've lost sections 11 to 13," Zach called over the comm, "everyone all right?"

"We've got everyone except Scooti," Jefferson told him before calling for Scooti over the comm, "Scooti, report. Scooti Manista, this is an order. Report!"

"She's all right, I've picked up her biochip, she's in habitation three," Zach said over the comm, "Better go and check. If she's not responding, she might be unconscious." Jefferson went to check for Scooti as Zach continued, "but how about that, eh? We survived!"

"Habitation three, come on," Jefferson said when no one followed, "I don't often say this, but I think we could all do with a drink. Come on."

"What happened?" The Doctor asked turning to Toby, who looked panicked. Ida and a couple of guards had followed Jefferson.

"I- I don't know," Toby stuttered, "I was working, and then I can't remember. A- All that noise. The room was falling apart." Chris detached her hand from The Doctor's and went over to comfort Toby, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder as the young man panicked, "There was no air."

"Come on," Rose ordered, having joined Chris. She helped Toby to stand, "Up you get, come and have some protein 1."

"Ooh! You've gone native," The Doctor whined, pouting even more at the smirk that Chris sent him.

"Oi, don't knock it, it's nice," Rose scolded The Doctor before turning to Toby, leading the man away as Chris and The Doctor followed at a slower pace, "Protein 1 with just a dash of '3."

* * *

Check habitation four," Jefferson ordered when they hadn't found Scooti in habitation three, "There's no sign, but the biochip says she's in this area. Scooti, please respond. If you can hear this, please respond."

"Habitation six?" Ida commanded.

"Nowhere here." A guard responded.

"Zach, we've got a problem, Scooti's still missing," Jefferson informed as The Doctor and Chris walked into habitation three with Rose and Toby following.

"But it says habitation three," Zach protested.

The group checked every nook and cranny again. No one paid attention to Chris, who was staring out the still open window. She had tears in her eyes, but she made no move to keep them from falling. The harrowing guilt that was eating inside her was almost becoming too much to handle. First the Tardis and now Scooti. Two unnecessary losses that she could have easily prevented.

"Yeah, well that's where I am, and I'm telling you, she's not here," Jefferson snapped.

"I've found her," Chris said, her voice stronger than she felt. Everyone turned to look at her and then followed her gaze out to where Scooti was floating, being pulled into the black hole.

"Oh, my God," Ida gasped, Chris turned to her.

"Sorry," She apologized, "I'm so sorry."

"Captain," Jefferson said in a monotone, "Report Officer Scootori Manista, PKD, deceased."

"She was 20," Ida gasped, and Rose wrapped an arm around the woman's shoulders, offering her silent comfort.

"For how should man die better than facing fearful odds? For the ashes of his father and the temples of his Gods." Jefferson quoted, the base falling silent after he finished, everyone's heads bowed.

"It's stopped," Ida said, noticing that the whir of the drill had disappeared after years of it being there constantly.

"What was that?" Rose said after there was a faint echo and a crashing sound, "What was it?"

"The drill," Chris said, not looking at anyone.

"We've stopped drilling," Ida said, "We've made it. Point Zero."

* * *

All nonessential Oods to be confined," Zach ordered Danny over the comm once the rest of them were at the drilling site.

"Capsule established, all systems functioning!" Ida announced after reading the scan that their equipment had done, "the mineshaft is a go! Bring systems online now!"

"Reporting as volunteer for the expeditionary force, sir!" The Doctor saluted Zach, having changed into a spacesuit after a heated argument with Rose, one which Chris had sat out.

"Doctor, this breaks every single protocol," Zach protested, not for the first time, "We don't even know who you are."

"Yeah, but you trust me, don't you?" The Doctor grinned, "and you can't let Ida go down there on her own. Go on. Look me in the eye. Yes, you do. I can see it. Trust."

"I should be going down," Zach protested.

"The captain doesn't lead the mission," Chris said, speaking for the first time since she had found Scooti, "He stays here, in charge."

"Not much good at it, am I?" Zach sighed, rubbing his head. He turned to the rest of the room before calling out, "Positions! We're going down in two! Everyone, positions! Mr. Jefferson, I want maximum systems. Oxygen. Nitrobalance. Gravity."

"It's ages since I wore one of these," The Doctor said to Rose with a grin, her returning grin wavered a little bit. Chris was off to the side fiddling with her hands and giving the two some space, not sure how she was supposed to act.

"I want that spacesuit back in one piece; you got that?" Rose commanded jokingly, her grin strengthening.

"Yes, sir," The Doctor saluted mockingly.

"S'funny, cos, people back home think that space travel's gonna be all, whizzing about and teleports, anti-gravity," Rose commented as if just coming to that realization, "But it's not, is it? It's tough."

"I'll see you later," The Doctor said with a small smile

"Not if I see you first," Rose joked before glancing at Chris, "go talk to her, Doctor. Remember what she said about her early years."

"I know, Rose. I just-"

"You're not sure how she's going to react to you?" Rose asked, as always having the knack for reading The Doctor, "Doctor, you're being an idiot. Go talk to her."

The Doctor nodded before walking over to Chris, who looked up at him in confusion, "were you going to let me go without a goodbye?"

"I prefer 'see you laters,' Doctor," Chris said before surprising The Doctor with a hug, "be safe down there."

"Oh, you know me," The Doctor joked, hugging Chris back, "safest guy in the galaxy."

Chris leaned back and raised her eyebrow at The Doctor, "you really think right now is a good time to challenge the Galaxy, Doctor? Right before you're about to go down into a pit that you have no idea what is on the other end?"

"Ah, yeah, best not," The Doctor said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck, "you be safe up here Chris, you hear me?"

"I'll do my best, Doc," Chris smiled before stepping back. She was about to continue when suddenly everything went dark.

* * *

The Doctor looked at where Chris had been with a small frown. It was unusual for her to disappear in the middle of an adventure. She was usually there before an adventure and at least had a little bit of time to relax after one.

He really needed to work out how the hell she was bouncing around his timeline as she was. No one should be able to time travel without something like a time vortex manipulator or his own Tardis.

"What happened?" Jefferson asked, slightly panicked, as he gaped at where Chris had just been, "Where did she go?"

"She does that," The Doctor said with a shrug, "it's okay, she'll be fine."

"How does she do that?" Ida asked from her spot by Toby.

"I don't know," The Doctor murmured before turning to the rest of the group, "Oh well, let's get this show on the road."

He would have time to worry about Chris later. Right now he needed to explore whatever it was that was in the pit.

* * *

Chris woke up with a head-splitting migraine. She groaned as she looked around the… wherever she was. The place was dark and creepy. She assumed it was a cave of some sort, but it was hard to tell.

It felt like something was compressing her brain. It was like she was experiencing every single headache she had ever had at the same time. With a start Chris realized that she couldn't feel, or hear, Rain anymore. The spot in her mind that Rain usually took up was gone.

With a feeling of trepidation, Chris forced herself to stand up and take a few steps forward with her arms outstretched. She immediately ran into something solid. Only, it wasn't rock like she had been expecting. It was wood.

Hoping the object has what she thought it was Chris snapped her fingers. She was rewarded by a wash of light from the now open doors of the Tardis. Chris quickly stepped into the machine and was relieved to feel the pressure lifting off her head.

 _I have no clue what that was, but I never want to experience it again._ Rain's voice in her head felt like music to her ears. She had only known the other woman for a short time, but Chris wasn't sure what she would do without Rain now.

"I really do get attached too easily," Chris groaned before taking a seat on the jump seat, glad that she was at least somewhere safe this time.

* * *

The Doctor and Ida had found a door that was surrounded by rubble and carved with intricate designs. Ida just stared at it while The Doctor moved closer, wanting to get a better look as he told the group up top what they had found.

"We've found something. It looks like metal. Like some sort of seal," The Doctor said into the comm, "I've got a nasty feeling the word might be trapdoor. Not a good word, trapdoor. Never met a trapdoor I liked."

"The edge is covered with those symbols," Ida interrupted, already tired of The Doctor's rambling, even if she was slightly amused as well.

"Do you think it opens?" Zach questioned over the comm

"That's what trapdoors tend to do," The Doctor quipped before flinching. He had been expecting a smack from Chris for his sarcasm. It took him only a moment to remember that Chris had disappeared earlier.

"Trapdoor doesn't do it justice. It's massive, Zach," Ida said in awe, "about thirty feet in diameter."

"Any way of opening it?" Zach asked

"I don't know," Ida said, finally moving forward to examine the door, "I can't see any sort of mechanism."

"I suppose that's the writing," The Doctor said, "It'll tell us what to do. The letters that defy translation."

The Doctor and Ida continued to examine the door, looking for a way to open it. They worked in silence; each wrapped up in their thoughts. The com was constantly going, evidently because of Rose.

The two paused when a commotion started at the top level. The Doctor and Ida grouped back together to listen.

"What is it? What's he done?" The Doctor demanded, "What's happening? Rose, what's going on?"

"He's come out in those symbols all over his face," Rose's voice came off the comm. "they're all over him."

"Mister Jefferson. Tell me, sir," The Doctor could hear Toby's voice, it was guttural, and nothing like the young man had sounded before, even over the distorted comm. "did your wife ever forgive you?"

"I don't know what you mean," Jefferson protested.

"Let me tell you a secret," Toby insisted, "she never did."

"Officer, you stand down and be confined," Jefferson ordered.

"Or what?"

"Or under the strictures of Condition Red, I am authorized to shoot you."

"But how many can you kill?"

Suddenly the Ood were speaking: "we are the Legion of the Beast."

"Rose? What is it, Rose?" The Doctor demanded. The Time Lord turned to Ida when he got no response, "I'm going back up."

The Doctor ran back to the pod, keeping the comm on him so that he could remain in touch with Rose back up in the drilling area.

"It's the Ood" Rose informed, "Doctor, I don't know what it is. It's like they're possessed."

Suddenly the trap door started to move. Ida turned to watch in awe as the door fell open, revealing nothing but a pit. Ida looked over to see if the Doctor was watching, calling out: "Doctor, it's opening!" when she found that he wasn't.

Up in the Ood habitation, the control room, and the drilling area the ground started to shake.

"We're moving! The whole thing's moving," Zach announced over the comm for everyone to hear. "The planet's moving."

"I am the sin and the temptation and the desire. I am the pain and the loss and the death of hope."

"Get that door open!" Jefferson demanded. Rose ran to the door, attempting to get it open.

"The gravity field," Zach called out in horror, "it's going! We're losing orbit! We're going to fall into the black hole!"

"I have been imprisoned for eternity. But no more. "

 **Door sealed.**

"Come on," Rose pleaded, attempting one more time to turn the wheel,

 **Door sealed.**

"The Pit is open. And I am free." The Doctor heard over the comm in the creepy voice of the beast.

* * *

She had fallen asleep in the jumpseat. The crick in her neck was alerting her to this fact before she had even opened her eyes. Chris looked around groggily, sitting up and scratching at her head. She still had no clue where she was, but she had an inkling that she was still in the same place she had disappeared to.

Which brought a question to mind: Why had she disappeared? She had done little time skips before, in Pompeii, but…

Oh…

She was on the Bitter Pill. Which meant the Tardis was in the pit. And if she was in the Tardis that meant she was also in the pit.

 _Maybe you should check outside of the Tardis?_ Rain suggested, and Chris groaned.

"But that would mean going outside. Into the Pit. The one that holds the beast."

 _That would be the one._ Rain confirmed. _I risk myself when you get in danger too, you know._

"But what about that pressure? Wouldn't it hurt you again?"

Chris was already standing, picking up her bag and throwing it over her shoulder as she prepared to head outside the Tardis. She made sure her sonic was in her coat pocket, wanting it to be accessible.

 _Don't worry about me. If I compress myself on purpose, it won't hurt as much._

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

She didn't wait for an answer as she threw open the doors of the Tardis, ready to set foot into the pit.


	12. Satan's Pit: Part One

**Satan's Pit: Part One**

Zach, captain of the sanctuary base on the remnants of a planet falling into a black hole, braced himself on the console as he read out the readings, causing hope to flare as the planet began to stabilize from its descent into the black hole.

"We're stabilizing," He informed the others via the comm, "We've got orbit."

He let out a breath and quickly worked to close the shield so that he no longer had to stare into the back hole. Ida had said the sight of it drove some people mad, she hadn't been wrong. He wasn't going mad, per say, but he was definitely more panicked than he should be with the black hole within sight.

Once that was done, he quickly went back to the console, moving to get everything working properly. He needed to keep his crewmates, and the strangers, safe from the beast. He would not be able to live with himself if anything happened to them and he didn't try his damnedest to prevent it.

* * *

Rose, time traveling friend of The Doctor, continued trying to get the door open before scrambling for the comm to get in touch with The Doctor. She was so used to having Chris there with her that she almost tossed the comm to her before realizing that she was alone.

"Doctor?" Rose tried only to be greeted by static and hissing coming from the other end, "Doctor, can you hear me? Doctor, Ida, are you there?"

She closed her eyes tight and took a calming breath before turning in time to see Danny, the Ood expert, enter the room. He looked terrified, and it did nothing to calm Rose down. She needed The Doctor to be safe, she needed The Doctor to save them.

"It's me!" Danny said the second he noticed that the crew was pointing guns at him, "but they're coming. It's the Ood. They've gone mad."

"How many of them?" Jefferson demanded his need to protect everyone overriding any need he may have had to be polite.

"All of them, all 50," Danny informed. He remained in front of the door, trying to keep Jefferson from running through.

"Danny, out of the way," Jefferson demanded. He grabbed Danny, shoving him out of the way shouting at the man again, "out of the way!"

"But they're armed! It's the interface device," Danny protested, trying to keep Jefferson from opening the door, even as the man was opening the door, "I don't know how, but they're using it as a weapon."

The swung open to reveal a group of Ood with red eye. The guard that had been standing next to Jefferson was the unlucky one to demonstrate what exactly it was that Danny had been talking about. The Ood raised his interface device to the woman's forehead. Everyone in the drilling area watched in horror as she was electrocuted.

Jefferson opened fire as Danny and Rose worked to get the door shut, both of them glad that Jefferson had good aim.

* * *

Zach had enough sitting around, he needed to be with his crew, helping to defend them. Not sitting at a console pressing buttons. With that in mind, he stood from the console and raced to the door, hitting the buttons on the side to get it open.

 **Open Door One.**

 **Close Door One.**

He was three steps into the hall when he saw the Ood. Zach raced back to the door, getting it open again.

 **Open Door One.**

He hit the buttons in a panicked manner, managing to seal the door and keep the Ood out.

 **Close Door One.**

"Lockdown! Seal Door One!" Zach demanded, pressing one final button on the panel, ensuring that everything was locking down. He heard the faint sounds of shooting and pressed the button for his comm. "Jefferson, what's happening?"

"I've got very little ammunition, sir, how about you?"

Zach ran to the lock box on the wall that contained the control room's firearm. "All I've got is a bolt-gun." He checked the ammunition, "With, uh, all of one bolt.I could take out a grand total of one Ood, fat lot of good that is."

"Given the emergency, I'd recommend Strategy Nine," Jefferson suggested.

"Strategy Nine, agreed," Zach concurred before going back to the console to take control, "Right, we need to get everyone together. Rose? What about Ida and the Doctor, any word?"

"I can't get a reply," Rose informed him, "Just. nothing. I keep trying, but it's. Oh, I wish Chris were here, she'd know what to do."

"No, sorry, I'm fine, still here!" The Doctor's voice sounded over the comm. Zach let out a relieved breath.

"Oh, you could've said, you stupid," Rose's voice was cut off by feedback.

"Woah. Careful," The Doctor warned, "Anyway! It's both of us, me and Ida, hello! But the seal opened up. It's gone. All we've got left is this chasm."

"How deep is it?" Zach asked, trying to get as much information as he could.

"Can't tell," The Doctor relayed, "Looks like it goes down forever."

"The Pit is open," Rose commented, "That's what the voice said. But there's nothing. I mean, there's nothing coming out?"

"No, no sign of the Beast," Ida reiterated.

"It said Satan," Rose reminded The Doctor as she started to panic with the rest of the crew.

"Come on, Rose," The Doctor chided, "keep it together."

"Is there no such thing?" Rose asked, continuing when The Doctor remained silent; "Doctor, tell me there's no such thing."

"Ida," Zach said, having had enough of this and wanting all of his crew together and safe. "I recommend that you withdraw, immediately."

"But we've come all this way," Ida protested

"Okay, that was an order," Zach reiterated, "Withdraw! When that opened, the whole planet shifted. One more inch and we fall into the black hole. This stops, now."

"But it's not much better up there, with the Ood."

"I'm initiating Strategy Nine, so I need the two of you back up top, immediately, no arg-" Zach heard a click that signaled the comm being shut off on the other end, "Ida, IDA?"

* * *

"Once I was seven years old, my mama told me-" Chris was singing as she explored the dark cave she gave up as she missed yet another partial, "I haven't heard that song in at least a month. I don't remember it."

 _You're pretty good at that,_ Rain commented

"Forgetting things or singing?" Chris asked as she shone a flashlight at the wall she had just about run into, "If it's the singing then thanks, if it's forgetting things then… well, thanks?"

 _Look up ahead,_ Rain suggested.

Chris did just that, spotting the writing that Rain had noticed on the walls ahead of them. She walked over and traced the ancient words. She had no clue what the words said, what surprised her was what was depicted inside the ring of words.

Someone had carved an image of the Tardis, Ten, and herself surrounded by what looked like stars. The images were disturbingly accurate, down to the faint scar that Chris had on her left hand. She traced the image of the Tardis and was surprised to find that it was warm while the words had been cold.

"The hell is this?" Chris wondered, looking to the right down the rock and then to the left. She could see nothing that would give away what these pictures were for or who had created them.

 _Chris, at the bottom._

Chris looked to where Rain had suggested seeing something that looked like a lever. She went to move it but pulled back at the last moment.

"Nope, not pulling the random lever, ain't gonna happen," Chris said, turning her back on the wall, "then again, if Doc were here he would pull the lever."

 _But he's not here, so we can just leave the lever and continue exploring._

"Nah," Chris said, waving the idea off before reaching out and pulling the lever.

* * *

"What do you think?" Ida asked, looking at The Doctor who was watching Ida in shock.

"He gave an order," The Doctor reminded.

"Yeah, but what do YOU think?"

"It said, 'I am the temptation,'" The Doctor ignored her question, "Chris said something about temptations last time I saw her. I think it was 'Even the best person has dangerous temptations.'"

"If there's something in there why's it still hiding?" Ida countered.

"Maybe we've opened the prison, but not the cell."

"We should go down," Ida said, "I'd go. What about you?"

"Ohh, in a second," The Doctor agreed, "But then again. That is so human. Where angels fear to tread. Even now, standing on the edge. It's that feeling you get, yeah? Right at the back of your head, that impulse, that strange little impulse, that mad little voice saying, 'Go on, go on, go on, go over, go on' Maybe it's relying on that. For once in my life, Officer Scott, I'm going to say." He sighed, "Retreat, Ohh. Chris is going to call me old when she hears about this." The Doctor pressed the button on his comm. "Rose. We're coming back."

* * *

"Best news I've heard all day," Rose said before turning to see Jefferson pointing a gun at Toby, "What are you doing?"

"He's infected," Jefferson gestured at Toby, his voice hard, "He brought that thing on board - you saw it."

"Are you gonna start shooting your own people now, is that what you're gonna do?" Rose asked, "Is it?"

"If necessary," Jefferson admitted.

"Well, then, you'll have to shoot me, if necessary," Rose informed him, "So what's it gonna be? Look at his face. Whatever it was, it's gone. It passed into the Ood, you saw it happen. He's clean."

"Any sign of trouble, I'll shoot him," Jefferson gave in.

Rose nodded and then knelt by Toby who was shaking terribly.

"You all right?" Rose asked

"Yeah," Toby breathed before shaking his head, "Um. Dunno."

"Can you remember anything?" Rose asked

"Just… it was so angry. It was fury, and rage, and death," Toby looked at Rose with wide eyes, "It was him. It was the Devil."

* * *

"What's Strategy Nine?" The Doctor asked as he and Ida made their way to the lift.

"Open the airlocks," Ida informed, "We'll be safe inside the lockdown. The Ood will get thrown out, into the vacuum."

"So we're going back to a slaughter," The Doctor accused, not at all happy with that.

"The Devil's work," Ida informed.

"Okay, we're in," The Doctor said into the Comm., deciding it was better to ignore Ida's comment, "bring us up."

"Ascension, in three, two, one," Zach let them know.

Suddenly the ground started to shake. The Doctor and Ida glanced at each other in worry as a voice called over the comm to accompany the shaking,

"This is the darkness. This is my little things that live in the light, clinging to your feeble suns, which die, in the end."

"That's not the Ood," Zach pointed out, "Something is talking through them."

"Only the darkness remains," were the next words of the Beast

* * *

Chris paused as the ground started to shake. She looked around the room she was in worriedly before crouching down and covering her neck and head the best she could. She sighed when it stopped.

"I hate this, Rain," Chris grumbled, "I hate knowing what the hell is going to happen and being where I am and not being able to be open about myself and all these damned panic attacks. I mean, I'm surprised I haven't had more, honestly. But I hate that I can't control my body all the time." Her breathing got heavier and she wrapped her arms around her waist, " Why am I so useless?"

Chris sighed, "no don't answer that, I'm being pathetic. I need to get my act together."

Right after she said that the wall in front of her began to split open. Chris watched in wonder as light filtered through the cracks and she was finally able to see without the use of her flashlight.

On the other side of the wall-that-is-actually-a-door, there was a creature shackled to the sides of the cave. The beast was muscular and tall, taller than Chris had imagined he would be. The red skin looked like it was burning and Chris could actually feel it giving off heat.

"Oh yeah, that thing is hideous," Chris commented as her body began to shake even more than it previously had been. "God I wish The Doctor was here. I mean, I've known the man for a total of what- a month? Give or take a week? And already I know that I will always feel safer when he is present. Oh god, that terrifies me. I don't want to be reliant on anyone like that. "

 _Chris,_ Rain demanded only for Chris to ignore her, _Chris!_

Chris stopped and looked up to see The Doctor descending on a length of cord. She let out a sigh of relief even as the portion of the room that she was in was suddenly shrouded in darkness.

* * *

"This is Captain Zachary Cross Flane, of Sanctuary Base Six, representing the Torchwood Archive," Zach informed over the comm., "You will identify yourself."

"You know my name," The Beast reminded

"What do you want?"

"You will die here. All of you," The Beast growled, "This planet is your grave."

Toby started to chant, Rose went over to comfort him, placing a hand on his back, "It's him. It's him. It's him."

"If you are the Beast, then answer me this," The Doctor's voice came over the comm. and Rose let out a breath of relief, "Which one? Cos the universe has been busy since you've been gone. There're more religions than there are Arkiphets, Quoldonity, Christianity, Pash-Pash, New Judaism, San Claar, the Church of the Tin Vagabond. Which Devil are you?

"All of them," was the reply.

"What, then you're the truth behind the myth?"

"This one knows me," The Beast taunted, " As I know him. The killer of his own kind."

"How did you end up on this rock?" The Doctor asked, ignoring the taunt even though it hit too close to home.

"The Disciples of the Light rose up against me, and chained me in the Pit for all eternity," The Beast told him.

"When was this?"

"Before time."

"What does that mean?" The Doctor asked, a little agitated.

"Before time."

"What does "before time" MEAN?" The Doctor yelled, frustrated at the vague, very impossible, response.

"Before time and light and space and matter. Before the cataclysm. Before this universe was created." The Beast gave him several alternate definitions.

"That's impossible," The Doctor breathed, "No life could have existed back then."

"Is that your religion?" The Beast asked

"It's a belief." The Doctor confirmed.

"You know nothing. All of you, so small," The Beast was now addressing the entire group, rather than just The Doctor, "The Captain, so scared of command. The soldier, haunted by the eyes of his wife. The scientist, still running from Daddy. The little boy who lied. The lost girl.

So far away from home. The valiant child who will die in battle, so very soon. The Rain and the Clouds. Always wondering which will fall first."

"Doctor, what does that mean?" Rose asked, starting to panic.

"Rose, don't listen," The Doctor ordered, although he was wondering why the Beast was talking about Chris even if she wasn't there.

"What does it mean?" Rose yelled, feeling her chest constrict.

"You will die, the Rain will fall," The Beast roared, "and I will live."

Suddenly everyone began to panic.

"What the hell was that?" Danny demanded.

"I had that thing inside my head!" Toby panicked, Rose left his side to go to the Comm.

"Doctor, what did it mean?" She repeated, desperate for the comfort she knew The Doctor would provide. She would have preferred Chris but since the girl wasn't there she would have to settle.

"What do we do? Jefferson?" Danny asked, addressing the head of security.

"Captain?" Jefferson asked using the comm. "What's the situation on strategy nine?"

"Zach, what do we do?" Danny asked, panicked.

"The orbit, the planet, the black hole - everything's true," Toby said in awe, "How did it know that?

"Captain report," Jefferson demanded

"We've lost all pictures, Mister Jefferson," Zach informed over the comm.

"What battle?" Rose demanded over the comm. "What did it mean? Doctor, how did it know all of- "

"Did anyone get an analy-" Ida interrupted

"Jefferson-" Zach began

"Stop," The Doctor tried to get control

"What did it mean?" Rose tried again

"Everyone just stop," The Doctor demanded when no one listened. There was feedback over the comm. And everyone stopped talking to cover their ears, "If you want voices in the dark, listen to mine. It's playing on basic fears. Darkness, childhood, nightmares, all that stuff."

"But that's how the Devil works," Danny argued

"Or a good psychologist," The Doctor countered

"How did it know about my father?" Ida questioned.

"But what makes his version of the truth any better than mine? Cos I'll tell you what I can see.

Humans," The Doctor said, a part of him wished Chris was still there since she was much better at calming people down than he was, "Brilliant humans. Humans who travelled all the way across space, flying in a tiny rocket, into the orbit of a black hole, just for the sake of discovery! That's amazing! D'you hear me? Amazing. All of you. The captain. His officer. His elder. His juniors. His friends. All with one advantage. The Beast is alone. We are not. If we can use that to fight against him-"

Suddenly the ground shook, interrupting The Doctor.

"The cable snapped!" Ida yelled, looking at the readings.

"Get out!" The Doctor ordered as the cable fell towards the pod.

"Doctor, we lost the cable! Doctor, are you alright? Doctor?" Rose demanded, worried for her friend.

"Comms are down," Zach informed but Rose wasn't giving up.

"Doctor, can you hear me?"

"I've still got life-signs, but, we've lost the capsule," Zach told them,

"Say something," Rose demanded, "are you there?"

"There's no way out," Zach sighed, "they're stuck down there."

"But we've got to bring them back!" Rose yelled

"They're ten miles down," Zach reminded, "We haven't got another ten miles of cable."

There was an explosion and everyone grabbed onto something to keep themselves upright. The lights to the drill room were cut.

"Captain?" Jefferson demanded, "Situation report."

"It's the Ood," Zach informed, "They're cutting through the door-bolts, they're breaking in."

"Yes, same on Door 25," Jefferson told him,

"How long's it gonna take?" Rose asked as she glanced nervously at door 25.

"Well, it's only a basic frame, should take ten minutes," Right as Jefferson said that one of the bolts fell to the ground, "Eight."

"I've got a security frame - it might last a bit longer," Zach let them know, "But that doesn't help you."

"Right. So!" Rose called, startling everyone, "We've got to stop them, or get out, or both."

"I'll take both, yeah, but how?" Danny called.

"You heard the Doctor," Rose reminded, "Why d'you think that thing cut him off? Cos he was making sense, he was telling you to think your way out of this! Come on! For starters, we need some light. Zach, there's got to be some sort of power, somewhere."

"There's nothing I can do," Zach apologized, "Some Captain! Stuck in here, pressing buttons."

"But that's what the Doctor meant!" Rose exclaimed, "Press the right buttons!"

"They've gutted the generators!" Zach called before continuing shortly after, "but the rocket's got an independent supply. If I can reroute that. Mr. Jefferson! Open the bypass conduits, override the safety."

"Opening bypass conduits, sir!" Jefferson informed

"Channeling rocket feed. In three, two, one," Zach said before slamming his hand down on a button, "Power! There we go! Let there be light!"

"What about that Strategy Nine thing?" Rose questioned

"Not enough power - needs 100%," Zach informed regretfully.

"Right," Rose said, accepting that, "We need a way out. Zack, Mr. Jefferson, start working on that." Rose turned to Toby, "Toby, what about you?"

"I'm not a soldier!" Toby protested.

"No, you're the archaeologist," Rose reminded, "What do you know about the Pit? "

"We can't even translate the language, but," Toby looked up with wide eyes, "hold on maybe."

"What is it?" Rose asked

"Since that thing was inside my head, the letters make more sense," Toby explained

"Then get to work," Rose commanded, "Anything you can translate, just anything. As for you, Danny boy," She turned to Danny, "you're in charge of the Ood. Any way of stopping them?"

"Well," Danny mused before sighing, "I don't know."

"Then find out!" Rose commanded, "Sooner we get control of this base, the sooner we can get the Doctor out. Now get going. Shift!"

* * *

"How much air have we got?" The Doctor asked Ida who was at the controls.

"Sixty minutes, maybe fifty-five," Ida said before sighing, "We've got all this cable, might as well use it. The drum's disconnected, we could adapt it. Feed it through."

"And then what?" The Doctor asked with the feeling that he knew where this plan was going.

"Abseil," Ida said, confirming The Doctor's suspicions, "into the Pit."

"Abseil!" The Doctor said sarcastically, "Right!"

"We're running out of air, with no way back," Ida reminded, "It's the only thing we CAN do. Even if it's the last thing we ever achieve."

"I'll get back," The Doctor informed, "Rose is up there. Chris would kill me if I left her there."

"Then maybe the key to that is finding out what's in the Pit."

"Well," The Doctor said, drawing out the word, "It's half of a good plan."

"What's the other half?" Ida asked with a frown.

"I go down," The Doctor said, "Not you."

* * *

Rose, Jefferson, Toby, and Danny were in the maintenance tunnels, having figured out a way to deal with the Ood. Zach was at the control station working it so that they group in the tunnels had air.

* * *

"That should hold it," Ida said, making one last adjustment with the cable, "How's it going?"

"Fine," The Doctor informed, "Should work. Doesn't feel like such a good idea now. There it is again. That itch. Go down, go down, go down, go down. The urge to jump.

"D'you know where it comes from, that sensation? Genetic heritage, ever since we were primates in the trees," Ida said, "It's our body's way of testing us, calculating whether or not we can reach the next branch."

"No, that's not it. That's too kind. It's not the urge to jump, it's deeper than that," The Doctor corrected, "It's the urge to fall."

With that The Doctor tipped over the edge, his harness keeping him near the top of the Pit.

"Doctor!" Ida yelled after him, "You OK?"

"Not bad, thanks," The Doctor commed to Ida, "Wall of the Pit seems to be the same as the cavern, just not much of it. There's a crust about 20ft down, and then. Nothing. Just the Pit. OK, then. Lower me down."

"Here we go, then," Ida said, doing as The Doctor commanded.

"You get representations of the horned beast across the universe, in the myths and legends of a million worlds," The Doctor informed as he was slowly lowered into the pit, "Earth, Draconia, Vel Consadine, Daemos, the Kaled God of War. The same image, over and over again. Maybe that idea came from somewhere. Bleeding through. A thought at the back of every sentient mind."

"Emanating from here?" Ida asked

"Could be," The Doctor agreed, feeling oddly peaceful.

"If this is the original. does that make it real, does that make it the actual Devil, though?"

"Well, if that's what you want to believe," The Doctor said, he hit the end of the cable "Maybe that's what the Devil is, in the end. An idea."

"That's it," Ida informed, "That's all we've got. You getting any sort of readout?"

"Nothing," The Doctor informed, "Could be miles to go. Or, could be 30 feet, there's no way of telling. I could survive 30 feet."

"Oh, no, you don't, I'm pulling you back up," Ida said only to feel something catch on the cable, making it so she was unable to pull The Doctor up, "What are you doing?"

"You bring me back, and we're just gonna sit there and run out of air," The Doctor reminded, "I've got to go down."

"But you can't," Ida protested, "Doctor, you can't!"

"Call it an act of faith," The Doctor joked half-heartedly.

"I don't want to die on my own," Ida sobbed.

"I know," The Doctor said gently, pausing in his attempt to unlatch the harness, "I didn't ask.

Have you got any sort of faith, or?"

"Not really," Ida said, "I was brought up Neo-Classic, Congregational. Cos of my mum, she was. My old mum. But no. I never believed."

"Neo-Classics, have they got a devil?" The Doctor wondered.

"No. Not as such," Ida paused for a moment, "Just the things that men do."

"Same thing, in the end," The Doctor conceded.

"And what about you?" Ida asked.

"I believe, I believe I haven't seen everything," The Doctor told her, " I dunno. Funny, isn't it? The things you make up. The rules. If that thing had said it came from beyond the universe, I'd believe it, but before the universe? Impossible. Doesn't fit my rules. Still. Maybe that's why I keep travelling. To be proved wrong. Thank you, Ida."

"Don't go!" Ida tried again.

"If they get back in touch… If you talk to Rose, just tell her," The Doctor paused, unsure what he wanted to tell Rose, "tell her to keep safe. If not for me then for Chris."

With that, The Doctor undid the hitch and fell into the darkness of the Pit.

(000)


	13. Satan's Pit: Part Two

Chris watched as The Doctor landed his fall she ran over to him, checking to make sure he was still alive. She saw his chest move and breathed a sigh of relief before attempting to shake the man awake. She lifted his head to see the shield was shattered and gently removed the glass from in front of his face. When that was done and the timelord was still not awake Chris let out a sigh. She went to the wall to lean against it and watched The Doctor wake up from there.

"I'm breathing," The Doctor said in wonder before sitting up. He slowly removed his helmet, looking around.

"No shit sherlock," Chris breathed, she watched as The Doctor stood up and spun around attempting to find the location of the voice.

"Who's there," The Doctor called finally, it had sounded like Chris but surely she wouldn't be there.

Chris was going to have a field trip with this.

"Your worst nightmare," Chris called, pitching her voice so it sounded deeper than normal and adding an Australian accent. When she was training in college she spent several hours working on different accents.

"Bob Marley?" The Doctor said before pausing, "wait no. You said worst nightmare."

Chris couldn't help it, she burst out laughing, clutching her stomach. After a good minute of laughing, she wiped her eyes and stepped out of the shadows. The Doctor's eyes widened at the sight of her and Chris just grinned at him.

"You're afraid of Bob Marley?" She asked The Doctor who was still looking at her in shock. When she was in front of him she waved a hand before his face, "Doc, hey, you still in there?"

The Doctor shook his head before suddenly grabbing Chris and pulling her into a hug. Chris stiffened for a moment before hugging The Doctor back slowly. She waited for him to loosen his grip before pulling back.

"How long have you been down here?" The Doctor asked worriedly

"Since the last time you saw me," Chris told him with a small smile at his concern, "I'm still the same Chris."

"So what, you've been down here alone?" The Doctor asked, "what did you do?"

"Made a friend, of course," Chris said more cheerfully than she felt.

"Oh, of course," The Doctor agreed before looking at Chris in confusion, "what?"

Chris pointed over to where the beast was chained and The Doctor followed her arm to see what she was pointing at. The Doctor looked between Chris and the Beast suspiciously and Chris shook her head.

"Not literally, Doctor," Chris said with a frown, "no literal friends were made down here."

"Oh," The Doctor said rubbing the back of his head sheepishly before he stuffed his hands in his pockets, "sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Chris said before suddenly she was gone… again.

* * *

Jefferson shot back at the Ood again as the group made their way through the tunnels. He moved forward a few feet then turned to shoot again, ignoring the shouts of his crewmates to move faster. He wasn't young anymore and he already knew he wasn't going to make it.

"John, you've got to move faster," Zach demanded, terrified at what would happen if he didn't.

Jefferson pushed himself a little harder and yet he knew he was still trapped. He watched with misted eyes as the gate closed in front of him, trapping him with the Ood. Jefferson breathed heavily as he leaned against the wall, aiming his gun at the approaching Ood.

"Reget to inform, sir," Jefferson said into his comm., "I was a bit slow, not so fast these days."

"I can't open eight point one, John. Not without losing air for the others." Zach told him with a sigh.

"Quite right too, sir," Jefferson said as the Ood came into view, "I think I bought them a little time."

"There's nothing I can do, John," Zach let him know sadly, upset that he yet again was letting his crew down.

Suddenly there was a bright light and Jefferson closed his eyes against it. When he opened them the girl, Chris, was seated next to him looking around in shock. He backed away a little and resisted the urge to point the gun at her, the Ood were currently the bigger threat.

"Oh, same adventure, a little further back I believe," Chris muttered as she rummaged in her bag, "Jefferson's been caught and now so have I. I'm not dying today, it wasn't in my schedule so it's not happening. I do, however, have this, if you were wondering how I'm not dying today despite the fact that all signs are pointing towards the both of dying."

Chris had pulled out her vortex manipulator and was now fiddling with the controls. She pulled out her sonic next when her fiddling didn't work and soniced the thing to the right coordinates. When they were set she glanced at the bewildered Jefferson and shot him a grin, grabbing his hand and placing it on the manipulator, ignoring the shaking of her own limbs.

"Hold on tight," Chris said in warning before hitting the button on the manipulator and sending the duo away from the Ood.

They landed and Chris was up in a flash looking around the room for the rest of the crew. Rose and the rest should have been getting back soon unless Chris had overshot and they'd already left. She glanced up in relief as the door opened to reveal Rose, Danny, Toby, and Zach. The four stopped to stare at the two others before suddenly running towards the pair.

Chris was pulled into a hug by Rose which she returned stiffly while Jefferson was helped off the ground by the other three. When Chris was released she turned to the others with a grin. Addressing Jefferson first.

"Time travel without a capsule is nasty business, I'm afraid," Chris said gently, "Just take it easy for a bit."

Rose went to the comm. and picked it up, calling for the Doctor. Chris moved to stand next to her when suddenly her knees buckled and she fell to the ground with a yelp. She took a deep breath before rolling onto her bum and staring up at the group sheepishly.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have moved as soon as I did," Chris said, ignoring the stinging pain in her palms and the shaking of her limbs as she took calming breaths.

When she had appeared trapped with Jefferson she had immediately gone for the manipulator without even thinking about it. She knew it was because of Rain, the time lady in her head was always one step ahead of her, for which she was grateful. Even so, the panic that she felt, and was still feeling, was not willing to let her concentrate on getting everyone out.

"You okay?" Rose asked squatting in front of Chris who gave her a shaky smile.

"I'm always okay," Chris told her before letting out a sigh, "Okay, that's a lie if there ever was one. I'll be fine in a mo, Rose."

Rose raised an eyebrow before shaking her head. She lifted the comm. to find out where The Doctor was and if he was okay.

"Are you there Doctor?" Rose asked.

"He's gone," Was Ida's immediate and sad reply.

"What do you mean, he's gone?" Rose asked, glancing at Chris who was currently staring at her hands in awe.

"He fell into the pit. I have no way of knowing how deep it is," Ida replied, "He said your name, your's and Chris'."

Chris blinked in surprise at that and looked away from her hands. She knew she had scraped them on the grating and that her left palm had been bleeding but when she had looked again all signs of injury had been gone.

"Oh he's fine, by the way," Chris said after a moment, "nice safe landing. There's an airfield down there that cushioned his fall."

"How do you know that?" Jefferson asked, looking at the girl in awe.

"Magic," Chris said sarcastically, before raising her wrist that had the vortex manipulator, "No sorry, wrong time for that. This is a vortex manipulator, it allows me to travel in time."

"Oh," Jefferson said, at a loss for proper words at the moment.

"Anyways, were we not going to evacuate? Or did I hear the plan incorrectly?" Chris asked looking at the group while she tried to hide how uncomfortable she was with all the attention she was getting.

"I'm sorry. Ida?" Zach said after taking the comm. from Rose, "There's no way of reaching you. No cable, no backup. You're ten miles down. We can't get there."

"You should see this place, Zach. It's beautiful," Ida told him softly, "Well, I wanted to discover things, and here I am."

"We've got to abandon the base," Zach said as the rest of the group watched on sadly, "I'm declaring this mission unsafe. All we can do is make sure no one ever comes here again."

"But we'll never find out what it was," Ida protested

"Well, maybe that's best," Zach said

"Yeah," Ida agreed

"Officer Scott," Zach started

"It's all right," Ida interrupted determinedly, "Just go. Good luck."

"And you. Danny, Toby, and Jefferson close down the feed links." Zach ordered and the men got to work, "Get the retro tropes online, then get to the rocket and strap yourselves in. We're leaving."

"I'm not going," Rose said ignoring that Chris was already shaking her head,

"Rose, there's space for you," Zach told her

"No, I'm going to wait for the Doctor. Just like he waited for me," Rose said only for Chris to grab her arm, turning the young woman around to face her.

"Rose, he's alive, I swear he gets out. Now, The Doctor wants you safe and safe means going with them, alright."

"What do you know," Rose yelled, pulling away from Chris, "You just leave him? It's like you don't even care! I'm staying, just cause you're going to abandon him doesn't mean I have to."

Chris shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips as she nodded to Zach who was holding a syringe.

"Then I apologise for this. Danny, Toby? Make her secure," Zach ordered as Danny and Toby grabbed Rose

"No, no. No! No! No!" Rose protested, kicking out and glaring at the group, "Let me go! Get off me! I'm not leaving!"

"I have lost too many people. I am not leaving you behind, "Zach said after injecting Rose, "Let's get her on board. What about you?"

"I'm not putting up a fight," Chris said with a shrug, "But I don't think you're going to have enough room for both Rose and me."

Jefferson, who had caught Rose as she passed out, hoisted the young woman onto his shoulder. Chris smiled at the image wishing, yet again, that she had a camera with her.

"Did that Ood just move," Toby demanded as they entered a corridor littered in Ood, "Oh my god."

"it's the telepathic field, it's reasserting itself," Danny said as he started moving faster.

"Get to the rocket," Zach ordered and everyone started running as the Ood began to wake.

* * *

Chris looked around the capsule and frowned. There were not enough chairs for all of them and if they ejected Toby as she knew they would then this would be a problem. She knew that she would have to stay behind. Maybe she could use the manipulator to get back to The Doctor and onto the Tardis.

"There's no room for me," Chris announced, backing out of the rocket. "Don't argue with me, I've got my manipulator."

"Chris," Jefferson started, not liking the idea of his saviour staying behind, time traveler or not.

"Nope," Chris said cheerfully despite the fear that she felt, "Listen, you may not believe me but I know what's going to happen. Everyone has to be strapped down so one of us has to stay behind. I have the best chance at surviving," She raised a hand to stop Zach from interrupting, "No, I'm not joking, I'm not arguing. The Ood are waking up. You guys need to go."

Zach stared at Chris for a moment before nodding. She nodded back, shutting the door as she left the rocket. Chris looked at the rocket once more before pulling her vortex manipulator out of her bag and strapping it to her wrist. She used her sonic to key it into The Doctor as she tried not to panic at the sight of the approaching Ood.

"Dislocating B clamp, C-clamp," Zach said, trying not to think of the person that they were leaving behind as he got them ready to take off, "raising blu-nitro to maximum," Zach turned to Jefferson, who was the "How's the negapact feed line?"

"Clear, ready to go, sir," Jefferson replied.

"Oh, for God's sake, get us out of here!" Toby panicked.

"Captain," Danny warned as he saw Rose waking up, "Think we're gonna have a problem."

"Keep an eye on her," Zach ordered Danny, not looking back at them.

"What did you?" Rose demanded groggily before shaking her head to clear it.

"It's all right, Rose, we're safe," Danny placated

"I'm not going anywhere!" Rose yelled, looking around for Chris, "Get me out of this thing. Chris! Get me OUT!"

"Aaaaand, lift off!" Zach yelled as the rocket took off

"Take me back to the planet," Rose demanded, tears springing to her eyes when she couldn't find Chris, "Take me back!"

"Or what?" Jefferson questioned.

"Or I'll shoot," Rose said, grabbing a nearby gun.

"Would you, though?" Zach asked, "Would you really? Is that what your Doctor would want? What about Chris?" Rose physically deflated, "I'm sorry. But it's too late, anyway. Take a look outside. We can't turn back. Chris stayed behind to keep the rest of us safe. And this is what the Doctor would have wanted, isn't that right?"

* * *

The Doctor looked around the cave again, finding himself to be disappointed at the disappearance of Chris. Though he was also grateful, Chris was more likely to survive with Rose. The crew would get them off the ship.

He walked up to the wall and started tracing the figures depicting an ancient battle. He couldn't read the words but he was able to tell the story from the pictures.

"Can you hear me, Ida?" The Doctor said quietly into the comm., receiving no response, "History of some big battle. Man against Beast. Dunno if you're getting this, Ida. Hope so. Anyway, they defeated the Beast and imprisoned it. And maybe that's the key. Or the gate, or the bars, or-"

The sound of the Beast interrupted him and The Doctor looked over at it curiously, trying to figure out why it would want him alive. Because the airfield showed that someone indeed wanted him alive.

"I don't have to accept what you are, but your physical existence, I give you that," The Doctor said with a shrug, the Beast growled at him, "I don't understand. I was expected down here. I was given a safe landing and air. You need me for something - what for? Have I got to. I don't know, beg an audience, or is there a ritual? Some sort of incantation or summons or spell? All those things I don't believe in, are they real?" The Doctor started to get frustrated at the lack of a response from the Beast, "Speak to me! Tell me! You won't talk. Or- you can't talk," the Beast roared, "Hold on, hold on, wait a minute, just let me. Oh! No. Yes! No." The Doctor smacked himself on the head, "Think it through! You spoke before, I heard your voice. An intelligent voice. No, more than that, brilliant. But looking at you now, all I can see. is the Beast. The animal. Just the body. You're just the body, the physical form. What happened to your mind? Hmm? Where's it gone? Where's that intelligence?"

The Doctor considered the Beast for a moment longer before coming to a realisation, "Oh no, You're imprisoned, long time ago. Before the universe, after, sideways, in between, doesn't matter. And the prison is perfect. It's absolute, it's eternal. Oh, yes. Open the prison, and the gravity field collapses, this planet falls into the black hole. You escape, you die." The Doctor laughed, "Brilliant! But that's just the body. The body's trapped, that's all. The Devil is an idea, in all those civilisations, just an idea. But an idea is hard to kill. An idea can escape! The mind, the mind of the great Beast, the mind can escape."

The Doctor's mouth fell open as he came to another realization, "Oh, but that's it! You didn't give me air. Your jailers did! They set this up, all those years ago. They need me alive! Because if you're escaping then I've got to stop you. If I destroy your prison, your body is destroyed.

Your mind with it? But then you're clever enough to use this whole system against me. If I destroy this planet, then I destroy the gravity field." The Doctor took a breath, spotting a lever near the Beast's prison "The rocket. The rocket loses protection. Falls into the Black Hole. I have to sacrifice Rose. No, if I did that Chris would kill me. Death by Chris, not the way I want to go."

"So that's the trap. Or the test or the final judgement, I don't know. But if I kill you, I kill them. Except that implies, in this big, grand scheme of gods and devils, their just victims." The Doctor laughed grimly as he grabbed onto the lever, "But I've seen a lot of the universe. I've seen fake gods, and bad gods, and demi-gods and would-be gods, and out of all that, out of that whole pantheon, if I believe in one thing, just one thing. I believe in her."

He pulled the lever just as Chris appeared in a flash of light next to him. She groaned and didn't move for a second before opening her eyes and giving a breath of relief at the sight of The Doctor.

"Chris?" The Doctor knelt next to her, not noticing her stuff the manipulator into her bag, "Why are you here?"

"Y-" Chris tried to speak but instead started coughing. After a moment of The Doctor rubbing her back, she was able to breathe again and she gave him a reassuring smile, "You should know by now that I have little control over where I am."

"Are you the same Chris?" The Doctor asked as he helped the young woman stand up wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Aren't I always the same Chris?" Chris asked with a smirk even though she was currently shaking, "okay seriously, though, same Chris."

"Why aren't you one the rocket?" The Doctor demanded

"Not enough room, I had the best chance of survival," Chris said with a shrug, not looking at The Doctor.

She squeaked in surprise as The Doctor spun her around so that he could make eye contact with her.

"Did they force you to stay behind?" The Doctor asked seriously, making Chris blink in surprise.

"What? No," Chris denied, "Doctor I forced them to leave me behind. There wasn't enough room on the rocket for all of us. And I told you, I had the best chance of survival."

"Why do you keep saying that?" The Doctor questioned, almost shouting now, "How would you know that? You said yourself you have little control where you go!"

"There's no need to shout," Chris said pulling away from The Doctor, "and I can't tell you."

"Why not?" The Doctor asked, calming slightly.

"Because in the future I write myself a note saying that I can't tell you," Chris told him, "and if I'm going to take anyone's advice right now it's going to be a version of me who's already lived through all this crap."

The Doctor nodded after a moment before reaching out and grabbing Chris' hand, surprised when she didn't pull away. Chris was looking at the Beast with what The Doctor realized was pity. He considered that for a moment before understanding why.

Chris knew that they were going to leave the Beast on the planet. Granted, The Doctor wasn't sure how they were going to do that quite yet. He figured Chris knew but he'd quickly learned not to ask her for hints. He'd been chewed out enough for doing just that since he first met the girl.

"You know," Chris started suddenly, surprising The Doctor out of his thoughts, "the Beast was a lot more intimidating on the show. I mean the physical body, not the mind of the Beast. But now he's just kind of sad."

The Beast roared not liking what Chris was saying about him. Chris winced, squeezing The Doctor's hand as the two watched the Beast for a moment.

"Okay, take that back, the body is a little bit scary," Chris said and The Doctor dropped her hand only to wrap his arm around her shoulders and steer her away.

"Alright, we need to think of a way out of here," The Doctor ordered, intent on taking Chris' mind off the Beast

"The Tardis," Chris said with a knowing smirk, "Sexy's nearby Doctor."

"S-sexy?" The Doctor stuttered, his face going warm.

"Oh Doc," Chris teased as she pulled the still blushing Doctor towards the Tardis, "you know that I know more than I should,don'tcha?"

* * *

What's the joke?" Zach asked the laughing Toby as the group continued to fly away from the planet.

"Just, we made it!" Toby cheered, "We escaped! We actually did it!"

"Not all of us," Jefferson reminded coldly, "We're not out of it yet."

"We're still the first people in history to fly away from a black hole," Toby said still with a large smile.

"Toby read me the stats," Zach demanded, wanting to distract the man

"Gravity funnel holding, sir," Toby informed, "Ohh, it's holding! "Stats at 53, funnel stable at 66.

5, hull pressure constant."

"Smooth as we can, sir, all the way back home," Jefferson said as he finished typing the coordinates they needed into the programming computer, "Co-ordinates set for Planet Earth."

"It doesn't make sense," Rose mused as she wiped her eyes, trying not to think of what could possibly be happening to Chris and The Doctor. In her past, Chris had shown her the manipulator that she had but Rose wasn't sure if Chris had it at that point. "We escaped, but there're a thousand ways it could've killed us. It could've ripped out the air, or burnt us, or anything, But it let us go - why? Unless it wanted us to escape."

"Hey, Rose, do us a favour," Toby demanded, "Shut up."

Rose shot him an offended look before looking out at the black space that they were currently flying in.

"Almost there," Captain Zach informed them, "We're beyond the reach of the Black Hole in 40, 39-"

He paused as the rocket started to shake. The group shared panicked looks.

"What was that?" Toby asked furiously, " What's he doing? What is he doing?!"

"We've lost the funnel!" Zach yelled as the rocket started to shake heavily, "Gravity collapse!"

"What does that mean?" Rose shouted fearfully.

"We can't escape!" Zach yelled back.

Rose turned to see that Toby's skin was glowing again. His jaw was moving but no words were coming out at the moment. The rocket shook again and suddenly The Beast was speaking through Toby.

"I am the rage and the bile and the ferocity!" The Beast roared, "I am the prince and the fool and the agony!"

"It's him, it's Toby!" Danny panicked as Rose reached for a gun in a split moment decision,

"I am the sin and the fear and the darkness!"

"The ship's not stable!" Zach yelled, trying his best to keep his team safe.

"What is he?" Danny yelled. Rose made eye contact with Jefferson who seemed to understand her plan "What the hell is he?"

"I shall never die! The thought of me is forever!" The Beast yelled "In the bleeding hearts of men, in their vanity and obsession and lust! Nothing shall ever destroy me! Nothing!"

"Go to hell," Rose yelled before unbuckling Toby and then immediately shooting out the window so that both Toby and The Beast flew out towards the black hole.

"Emergency shield!" Jefferson yelled as he slammed his fist down on a button.

"We've still lost the gravity funnel," Zach reminded them, "We can't escape the black hole."

"But we stopped him," Rose reminded, "That's what Chris and The Doctor would have done."

"Some victory," Danny said somewhat sarcastically.

"We're going in," Jefferson told them, not looking back at the rest of the crew but instead focusing on the scene in front of them as the rocket was pulled towards the black hole.

"The planet's lost orbit," Zach told them

"It's falling!" Danny yelled

"I'm sorry," Zach apologized, "I did my best. But hey, first human beings to fall into a black hole, how about that? History."

* * *

Chris glanced at The Doctor as he piloted the Tardis out of the black hole and towards the rocket. She and he had made the decision to save Ida at the cost of the Ood. Chris could see how much it pained the time lord to make that decision.

 _I know it's hard but you made the right call,_ Rain, who had been quiet since they had left the planet, told The Doctor.

"How do you know that?" The Doctor asked out loud, not turning away from the Tardis, "you always seem to know things but you've never explained how. Why not?"

"I can't," Chris said apologetically, "I wrote myself a letter telling myself not to tell you. Which means I can't. Not yet at least."

"Okay," The Doctor said, suddenly brightening, "I've got a lock on the rocket, you ready for the trade?"

Chris glanced at Ida who was sleeping soundly on the jumpseat. She had done a scan of the woman with her sonic and determined that she would be fine. Chris nodded to The Doctor, giving him the go ahead.

"Sorry about the hijack, Captain," The Doctor said, grinning at Chris, "This is the good ship Tardis."

"Now, first things first, have you got a Rose Tyler on board?" Chris asked, pushing The Doctor out of the way, "because I have a spa day planned with her and we are not missing out."

"Spa day," The Doctor asked, covering the mic, "since when?"

"Since just now," Chris grinned, "Now budge."

Chris hip bumped the time lord out of the way as she listened to Rose say she was present on the rocket.

"I'm here! It's me!" Rose yelled, "Oh, my God! Where are you?"

"We're just towing you home," The Doctor informed, pushing Chris to the side much gentler than she had moved him, "Gravity, shmavity - my people practically invented black holes.

In fact, they did. Couple of minutes, we'll be nice and safe."

"Oh, and Captain? Can we do a swap?" Chris asked, winking at The Doctor, "Say, if you give me Rose Tyler, I'll give you Ida Scott, how about that?"

"She's alive?" Zach called, relieved, "Thank God."

"Yeah, bit of oxygen starvation, but she should be all right," The Doctor explained, "We couldn't save the Ood. We only had time for one trip. They went down with the planet."

There was a shared moment of silence for the loss of the Oods. The silence was interrupted by a beep from the Tardis.

"Entering clear space," The Doctor informed gently, "End of the line. Mission closed."

The Tardis doors opened to allow Jefferson and Rose to enter from the rocket. Jefferson had come to retrieve Ida from the trio. Chris ran over and gave the man a hug, surprising everyone present.

"I'm glad you're okay, Jefferson," Chris said happily, "now go do good things with your life. Help people, save the world, invent a new flavor of ice cream. Seriously, ice cream is good, there always needs to be new flavors."

Jefferson chuckled as he returned the hug, "Thanks for saving me, Chris."

"Anytime, Jefferson," Chris promised as she released the man.

"Zach, we'll be off now," The Doctor called through the comm when everyone was situated on their own ships. "Have a good trip home. And the next time you get curious about something. Oh, what's the point? You'll just go blundering in. The human race!"

"But Doctor, what did you find down there?" Ida asked, having woken up to walk to the rocket on her own, "that creature, what was it?"

"I don't know," The Doctor said sharing a look with Chris, "Never did decipher that writing. But that's good! The day I know everything, I might as well stop."

"What do you think it was?" Ida asked, "Really?"

"I think we beat it," Chris offered, seeing that The Doctor wasn't sure of his phrasing quite yet, "That's good enough for us,"

"It said I was going to die in battle," Rose said fearfully.

"Then it lied." The Doctor countered, knowing that Chris would never let that happen.

"Right! Onwards! Upwards!" The Doctor cheered after shaking his head, "Ida, see you again, maybe."

"I hope so," Ida responded,

"And thanks, boys!" Rose added

"Hang on, though, Doctor, Zach called, stopping them from leaving, "You never really said. You three… who are you?

"Oh the stuff of legend," The Doctor said with a smirk before sending the Tardis into the vortex.

* * *

A/N: So I did warn you guys that I wouldn't be posting as often, yes? I work 24/5 so I might be a tad busy. I will be posting more regularly in October when I'm done with all the extra stuff I'm doing. I hope you guys enjoy this and I'm sorry for the long wait.


	14. Interlude 1: Breakfast and Cameras

She had been on the Tardis for five days already since Satan's Pit. She and Rose went on their promised spa day and it was the most relaxed Chris had been in the last month. Chris talked a lot with Rain about her previous trips and also theories on why she had been pulled to this specific universe.

Rain's favorite theory was that she was meant to change something from the way the show in her universe had been. Chris' theory was that she was actually a time lady that had been trapped in another universe. Chris' theory was obviously not true considering she was still human.

Well she hoped she was.

When Chris found her room she hadn't been able to stop crying for a solid thirty minutes. The Doctor had tried to comfort her however she had locked him out of the room. It was an exact replica of the room she had at her dad's house. Cream colored walls covered in posters and paintings. Various rugs decorated a dark hardwood floor. There was a door into a separate bathroom that had the same beach theme that Chris' mom had loved, she had replicated that theme when she was thirteen.

The part that had really made her cry was the small red bookshelf that sat to the left her queen sized bed. On the shelf was not only the photo album that contained all the photos she had of her family, there was a new photo album as well.

It was after her fifth time looking through the photo album that Chris found the manual. It was a set of instructions on how to make a camera using her sonic. The instructions looked used but Chris just figured that it was because a future her had left them there.

Without further thought, Chris grabbed the manual and her bag and left her room to find the workshop that she knew the TARDIS had. She was surprised when she didn't enter the hallway after leaving her room but instead entered directly into the workshop.

"Thanks, Sexy," Chris said with a small smile before getting to work.

* * *

She had fallen asleep at the bench shortly after finishing the camera. Chris had no clue how long she had been there but seeing the camera, a replica of the canon she had had at home, made the crick in her neck more than worth it.

She grabbed her camera and bag and left the workshop to find herself back in her room. After a quick shower and a change of clothes into a red button up, black jeans, and a pair of converse, Chris went off in search of The Doctor.

A few minutes later Chris found Rose and The Doctor talking over a cup of tea in the control room. Chris placed her things on the floor before sneaking up behind the two.

"Good morning," she sang as she clapped the two on the shoulders, causing the pair to jump in surprise.

"Chris!" Rose said cheerfully, jumping up to give the older woman a hug. "Where've you been?"

"Making this," Chris said as she went back to grab her camera. She quickly shot a picture of the Time Lord and his companion before walking back to them. "There was a manual in my room so I decided to make it."

The Doctor hadn't spoken yet, he'd just been staring at Chris in slight shock.

"What?" Chris asked, "do I have food on my face? That always happens when I eat I can't control it."

The Doctor shook his head, "no sorry, it's just strange seeing you with your hair down."

"Is it?" Chris asked, The Doctor and Rose nodded, "I guess I do wear it up more often than not.

"Yeah," The Doctor agreed before shaking his head again, "Anyways, what do you want to do today?"

"Eat breakfast, for starters," Chris said cheerfully, the other two exchanged a look. "What?"

"It's the afternoon," Rose said.

"It's morning somewhere, I just woke up, and I want French toast," Chris argued, "how do you even know it's afternoon?"

Rose pointed up to a wall that held nearly fifty clocks. Chris reads all the places that the clocks are for and lets out a laugh, the clocks are all personalized with companion names, places, and years.

"Who made those?" Chris asked and was surprised to find the two pointing at her. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, back when he was bald," Rose teased with a cheeky grin.

The Doctor's hand flew to his hair, messing it up even more than it already was, "I wasn't bald."

"I haven't even met that you, yet," Chris said with a small frown, "I look forward to it."

She completely missed the look of guilt that crossed The Doctor's face as she turned and went off in search of the kitchen. Rose, however, did not, and gave him a small smile.

"She forgave you already," Rose reminded, "she'll always forgive you."

The Doctor gave Rose a grateful smile before following after Chris, asking her to make him banana pancakes. Rose followed with a fond shake of her head.

* * *

"French toast isn't even French, Chris. Why do you like it so much?" The Doctor asked as he watched Chris flop yet another piece of the eggy bread onto the plate in front of her. He could have sworn she had already eaten an entire loaf of the food.

"It's good, okay," Chris said defensively, "you've got your food obsessions and I've got mine now bug off."

"Touchy, touchy," The Doctor laughed. The two of them were now alone in the kitchen as Rose had gone off in search of the pool room to relax a little bit before going to bed.

"Hush, you," Chris said brandishing her fork at the Time Lord.

"Can I ask you a question?" The Doctor requested of her after only a moment of silence.

"You just did but shoot away Doc," Chris said with a cheeky smile.

"Where are you from?" He had been wondering that for awhile. He knew it wasn't fair to ask such a young Chris but he just needed to know.

"What do you know about me, Doctor?" Chris asked after a moment, her expression serious.

"I know that you jump around my personal timeline for some reason and have for a long time. I know you can't tell me everything, like how you know the things you know, but I'd like to at least know where you're from." The Doctor smiled, " you know so much about me, it's only fair."

"I'm from America, I've lived in several different places. The most recent was a little town in Washington near Seattle, which is where I went through high school." Chris told him, choosing her words carefully, "I'm not sure how much more I can tell you, Doctor, I don't know when you find out the rest. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," The Doctor said with a gentle smile, "thanks for telling me."

"Anytime I can I will," Chris promised with a smile, "even when I can't I'll try."

"Thank you."

It was then that Chris was pulled away from the TARDIS, off to start another adventure.


	15. The Beast Below: Part One

_Even with the darkness around her Chris was still able to see. There were flashes of light and sound that had her spinning in circles. It was like her body was there but her mind was almost outside of it. It was disorienting._

" _Welcome to my world," a voice sounded around Chris. She spun searching for the source, "relax, it's just me."_

" _Rain?" Chris asked_

" _The one and only," Rain assured, "right now we're in the void, you've been here before, this is just the first time you've really been aware of it. I'm not sure why that's changed but I think it might have something to do with our next location ?"_

" _And what might that be?" Chris asked._

" _I don't know."_

* * *

 _ **Helpful,**_ Chris thought as the world shifted around her and she found herself in a bustling crowd somewhere she couldn't quite recognize yet. The place looked like some kind of central courtyard on a spaceship with metal walls, metal floors, and a metal ceiling as well.

She didn't notice it then but against the walls were these machines that looked similar to psychic vending machines. Humanoid robots with creepy smiling faces were watching the crowded room.

What she noticed right away was the young girl crying on a bench. Everyone was simply walking past her which she knew meant that either everyone there was an assholes or they knew why she was crying and were too scared to help.

The next thing she noticed was The Doctor running out of the Tardis to talk to the girl. Less than a minute later Amy Pond ran out of the Tardis in her nightie. Chris looked down at her own pajamas and chuckled.

"I'm in the future," Chris heard Amy say as she crept forward, "Like hundreds...of years in the future. I've been dead for centuries."

"Oh, lovely. You're a cheery one," The Doctor said before looping his arm into Amy's, "never mind dead, look at this place. Isn't it wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Amy wondered

"Use your eyes, notice everything," The Doctor said, "What's wrong with this picture?

"Is it...the bicycles?" Amy asked, gesturing to the people riding bikes, "Bit unusual on a spaceship, bicycles."

"Says the girl in the nightie," The Doctor pointed out hotly.

"Oh, my God! I'm in my nightie," Amy yelled, freaking out even though no one really cared what she was wearing.

"Seems to be the fashionable thing to wear these days," Chris said, making herself known to The Doctor and his newest companion.

"Chris!" The Doctor shouted excitedly, much like a young child in a candy store being told they could spend five dollars. He ran up to the young woman and gave her a giant hug.

"Alright bucko, you're gonna have to let me go here," Chris said, trying to quell the unfortunate panic that she was feeling, "Still not good with this whole hugging thing."

"Sorry," The Doctor apologized, letting Chris down, "It's just been a while since I've seen you."

"What do you mean?" Amy asked, "she was just with-"

Chris tilted her head as The Doctor slapped his hand over Amy's mouth and pulled the young red head aside, whispered something to her, and then led her back. She decided not to question it at the almost panicked look in The Doctor's eyes.

"Okay, so, what's the sitch, Doc?" Chris asked, pointedly moving the conversation along.

"Life on a giant starship, back to basics," The Doctor said, wanting to impress the two women, "Bicycles, washing lines, wind-up street lamps. But look closer. Secrets and shadows. Lives led in fear. A society bent out of shape, on the brink of collapse. A police state. Excuse me."

The Doctor went over to a table, grabbed a glass, and put it on the floor. Chris followed him over, already knowing what he was looking forward. The two exchanged a look as Chris picked up the glass and put it back with an apology.

"Sorry, we're looking for an escaped fish," Chris said before grabbing The Doctor's hand and leading him back to Amy.

"Why did you just do that with the water?" Amy asked the two, crossing her arms.

"Escaped fish," Chris said with mock seriousness, "do you not listen?"

"Rude, Chris," The Doctor murmured as he grabbed a hand each and pulled the girls along. "Now, police state - do you see it yet?"

"Where?" Amy asks looking around the large area in confusion.

"There," The Doctor says, using the hand that was holding Chris' to point at Mandy, who was still sitting on a bench crying to herself. The Doctor lead Chris and Amy to a bench opposite the girl so they could both observe her and talk.

"One little girl crying, so?" Amy asked, slightly perplexed and somewhat bored.

"Crying silently. I mean, children cry cause they want attention, cause they're hurt or afraid," The Doctor explained, gabbing Chris' hand. She didn't pull away despite her initial want to.

"When they cry silently, it's cos they just can't stop," Chris finished with a sad smile, "Any parent knows that."

"Are you a parent?" Any asked, glancing between Chris and The Doctor with a surprised and somewhat jealous look.

"Hundreds of parents walking past this spot and not one of them's asking her what's wrong, which means...they already know, and it's something they don't talk about. Secrets. They're not helping her, so it's something they're afraid of. Shadows - whatever they're afraid of - it's nowhere to be seen, which means it's everywhere. Police state." The Doctor completely ignored Amy's question, giving her an almost sad look before turning back to watch Mandy. Chris squeezed his hand, offering him what comfort she could.

A woman walked by the trio blocking their view of Mandy and in the time it took for her to pass Mandy had disappeared.

"Where did she go?" Amy asked, looking at the pair beside her. She saw the way The Doctor was clutching at the other woman's hand and couldn't help the stab of jealousy she felt. She wanted what those two seemed to have.

"Deck 207, Apple Sesame block, Dwelling 54A. You're looking for Mandy Tanner." He started a little when Chris elbowed him in the side, "Oh, this fell out of her pocket when I accidentally bumped into her. Took me four goes. Ask her about those things - the smiling fellows in the booths. They're everywhere."

"But they're just things," Amy told him

"But they're clean things," Chris said, gently sliding her hand out of The Doctor's and standing up, "if you look around everything is battered and dirty, but not the smilers. There are two feet of clean space around those clown things and it is actually creepy as h-"

Chris started at the hand that was suddenly cupping her face and her body reacted faster than her brain, grabbing the wrist of the hand and tearing it from her face. She instantly let go and backed away from The Doctor who was looking at her apologetically with wet eyes. His hands were raised as though he were trying to prevent a dog from pouncing on him.

She watched his eyes shift around and felt the shame rise in her face. She refused to look at both him and Amy, instead just grabbing the wallet and Amy's hand, dragging the young Scottish woman with her, despite the growing protests.

"What the hell was that?" Amy whisper yelled, pulling her arm out of Chris' grip, "You nearly break The Doctor's wrist and then you run off, what kind of girl friend are you?"

"I'm not," Chris said quietly, not looking at Amy at all as she navigated their way through the streets of the ship

"What? But with all the hand holding and hugging I thought-" Amy started,

"I've known the man for all of one month." Chris said after sighing, "and I have baggage that I haven't even talked to him about so I sure as hell ain't talking to someone who doesn't even want to like me about it."

With that Chris picked up the pace, making sure to stay in front of Amy and prevent any further conversation.

* * *

Amy kept her eyes peeled on the ground, almost nervous to talk to Chris. She had seen how upset the other woman had been getting with both her and The Doctor and she was actually sorry about some of the things she had said. She didn't know the two of them well enough to be commenting on their relationship. She could also see that Chris was distressed about something, even though she had no idea what is was.

"What's up with you and The Doctor anyways? Last time I saw you the two of you were all over each other and-" Chris suddenly had a hand over Amy's mouth and was looking at her with wide eyes.

"Amy, you can't tell me about my future, alright?" Chris said, "I'll explain but you have to promise not to ever, ever, ever, tell me about my future."

Chris removed her hand and Amy took a deep breath, "So other people can't touch you but you can touch other people?"

Chris shook her head at the woman and walked off with a sigh, not in the mood to explain why she had her rules. If Amy wanted to find out she was going to have to be a lot nicer to Chris. After a moment Chris heard Amy follow her.

Amy watched as Chris stopped and spun in a circle, trying to figure out which way to go. She stopped again only seconds later and was talking to someone that Amy couldn't see.

"You're following me. Saw you watching me at the marketplace." A young girl's voice said. Amy walked around the corner to see Chris looking at Mandy with a small smile.

"My friend took this from you and I wanted to give it back," Chris said, handing the wallet back to Mandy before pointing at a road block up the way a bit, "What's that?"

 _Why do you ask what things are if you already know?_ Rain asked nearly startling Chris who had just let the other woman's radio silence go.

 _ **Because if I act like I know everything no one is going to trust me,**_ Chris explained silently as she listened to Mandy's response.

"There's a hole. We have to go back," Mandy said, turning away from the barrier but keeping Chris in sight.

"A what?" Amy asked from behind the duo, startling Mandy

"A hole," Chris told the Scott as she crept closer to the curtains blocking the hole from view.

"Are you crazy?" Mandy called to Chris, not wanting to get any closer

"Yeah, are you sure this is a good idea, Chris?" Amy asked, not seeming too put off by the idea of a little danger.

"Oh, you know you want to check it out, Amel- sorry- Amy," Chris said with a grin to the woman, "and I know you're curious too, Mandy, no need to hide it from us, we're professional rule breakers."

"Professional rule breakers?" Amy hissed in Chris' ear

"I mean, it's pretty much true," Chris shrugged before smiling at Mandy from where the two stood in front of the curtain. She sat down on the ground, pulling her bag around and digging through its contents before pulling out her screwdriver and sonicing the lock open, muttering to herself, "I really need to keep this thing handy."

Amy rolled her eyes before turning to Mandy who was shaking her head at the two. "Oh, don't mind us. Never could resist a "keep out" sign. What's through there? What's so scary about a hole? Something under the road?"

"Nobody knows. We're not supposed to talk about it," Mandy says, glancing at the booth with the smiler in trepidation.

"Talk about what?" Amy asked as she gave Mandy her full attention, letting Chris work the chains off the curtain.

"Below," Mandy said at the same time as Chris, not that the other two heard her.

"And because you're not supposed to, you don't?" Amy challenged.

"You sound Scottish," Mandy said, wanting to change the subject.

"I am Scottish. What's wrong with that?" Amy said with a smile, "Scotland's got to be here somewhere."

"No," Mandy and Chris said at the same time again before Mandy continued, "They wanted their own ship."

"Hmm. Good for them. Nothing changes." Amy said, pleased with her country.

"What about America? Do we get our own ship?" Chris wondered, hoping that Mandy would have the answer.

"Yeah, but why do you care about America?" Mandy wondered, eyeing the girl curiously.

"I'm American?" Chris answered.

"You sound British though," Mandy pointed out and Amy nodded.

"Oh, do I?" Chris asked before suddenly turning back to the roadblock.

 _ **Rain, why do I sound British to them?**_ Chris asked as she moved down the road, making sure Amy and Mandy were following her.

 _The TARDIS._ Was the woman's reply.

 _ **She can translate accents?**_ Chris asked with a smile _**I love her more and more every day.**_

"So...how did you get here?" Mandy asked

"Oh just passing through, with a…" Amy glanced at Chris who was not paying attention to them, instead, she was walking ahead silently, "friend."

"Your boyfriend?" Mandy asked before pointing to Chris, "Oh hers?"

"Oh," Amy said, realizing something, and neglecting to answer the question.

"What?" Mandy asked, hoping that the redhead had decided to go back.

"Nothing. It's just...I'm getting married. Funny how things slip your mind." Amy said she glanced at Mandy with a small smile, missing Chris shake her head at the companion.

"Oh, what a beauty," Chris murmured having finally found the reason for the tent that was the roadblock to be put up. The walk had taken longer than she had expected, but then she had to remind herself that this was her reality now, not a TV show.

"Married?" Mandy asked from somewhere behind Chris, who was now petting the creature, knowing that it wouldn't hurt her.

"Yeah, shut up, married. Really, actually married. Almost definitely." Amy said, her eyes going wide.

"When?" Mandy wondered

"Well, it's kind of weird. A long time ago, tomorrow morning," Amy told the young girl, "I wonder what I did?"

Amy turned surprised to hear a thump come from ahead of them. She broke into a sprint and ran around the corner to find Chris passed out on the ground surrounded by men in robes. She didn't get a chance to react before she too was lying next to Mandy and Chris, unconscious on the floor.

* * *

Dejectedly, The Doctor made his own way through the streets of Starship UK in search of the engines. He'd made a mistake with Chris, thinking she was older just because she was willing to hold his hand. He knew that young Chris had bad reactions when she had unwanted- or unexpected- physical contact. This was actually a mild reaction compared to some of the ones she had gotten when he was in his ninth incarnation.

He spent ten minutes looking for the elevator and another five sonicing the controls so that he could get to the engineering deck. He knew that an older Chris would have been able to do both of those in a quarter of the time, but The Doctor had severely upset the younger Chris and wouldn't even be able to make it up to her until after they figured out what was going on on the ship.

The Doctor was surprised to see the walkway in engineering was full of glasses but instead he focused on the panels in the engine room. The sooner he figured out what was making the ship fly the sooner he could satisfy his curiosity and the niggling doubt that something was wrong.

"The impossible truth in a glass of water," A voice sounded behind him and The Doctor spun to see a woman in a mask watching him, "Not many people see it. But you do, don't you, Doctor?"

"You know me?" The Doctor asked, trying to figure out if he had met the woman before. He wouldn't be surprised if he had and then forgot her, he tended to be good at doing that.

"Keep your voice down," The woman whispered harshly, "They're everywhere. Tell me what you see in the glass."

"Who says I see anything?" The Doctor challenged, not liking that this woman had been watching him. He turned back to the engine panel, sonicing it some more.

"Don't waste time," She admonished, "At the marketplace, you placed a glass of water on the floor, looked at it, then came straight here to the engine room. Why?"

"No engine vibration on deck," The Doctor conceded, "Ship this size, engine this big, you'd feel it. The water would move. So I thought I'd take a look," The Doctor opened a panel, pulling out some wires.

"It doesn't make sense. These power couplings, they're not connected. Look." the doctor showed the wires to the woman, "Look - they're dummies, see?" He knocked on the wall, "And behind this wall, nothing. It's hollow. If I didn't know better, I'd say there was No engine at all. But it's working. This ship is traveling through space. I saw it."

"The impossible truth, Doctor," the masked woman said, "We're traveling among the stars in a spaceship that could never fly."

"How?" The Doctor wondered, getting further and further drawn in by the mystery.

"I don't know," the woman admitted, "There's a darkness at the heart of this nation. It threatens every one of us. Help us, Doctor. You're our only hope." She handed a device to The Doctor which he grabbed and examined curiously, "Your friends are safe. This will take you to them.

Now go, quickly!"

"Who are you?" The Doctor wondered, wanting to see if Chris could tell him more about the woman later, "how do I find you again?"

"I am Liz 10," the woman introduced, "and I will find you."

The Doctor blinked only to find that the woman was gone. With a frown he looked at the device and started to follow the blinking dot, hoping to find Chris and Amy soon.

* * *

Chris woke up as she fell to the floor. While she was unconscious she had moved to a room with a screen and placed haphazardly into a chair. With a groan, she sat up and rubbed at her shoulder before crawling into the chair.

"Welcome to voting cubicle 335A, recognizes," The man on the screen said suddenly, startling Chris into almost falling again, "Please leave this installation as you would wish to find it."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Chris grumbled as she glared a the screen, "worse than jump scares, you lot."

"The UK recognizes the right to know of all its citizens," The man continued, not being able to hear Chris, "A presentation concerning the history of Starship UK will begin shortly. Your identity is being verified on our electoral roll."

Chris watched in awe as her information appeared in green block letters on the screen.

"Name: Christi-Anna Marie Wesley

Age: ?

Marital Status: undetermined"

"Well that must've been helpful," Chris muttered as she looked at the information curiously. She figured that her age would be unknown since she jumped around a lot, but she was confused about her marital status. Why wouldn't it say single? Chris was too busy to even eat most of the time, let alone date and get married.

"You are here because you want to know the truth about this starship, and I am talking to you because you're entitled to know," The man continued, making Chris snort.

"Entitled my ass," Chris grinned, "you just want me here because I'm a threat and you want me to forget,"

"When this presentation has finished, you will have a choice," the man continued as though Chris hadn't spoken, "You may either protest or forget. If you choose to protest, understand this. If just 1% of the population of this ship do likewise, the programme will be discontinued, with consequences for you all. If you choose to accept the situation - 'and we hope that you will - 'then press the "forget" button."

"I don't need to sit through this BS," Chris grumbled before slamming her fist down on the 'protest' button with a grin, knowing exactly where she was going to end up. She wasn't disgusted by this knowledge at all.

Chris raised her arms above her head and screamed in joy on her way down the tube. She was an adrenalin junkie and it had only gotten worse since she had met The Doctor.

With a squish Chris landed in the sludge and sat up, shaking her head to get as much of the goop off her face as she could. With careful movements Chris stood and moved away from the tubes, knowing she was going to be getting two guests soon.

Chris grinned as she looked around the cavernous mouth. She pulled out her sonic and pointed it at the teeth, wanting to know if they were made of ivory like earth whales. She was just about to read her findings when there were two splashes a few feet from her.

* * *

"This isn't a trick," The Amy on the screen told her "You've got to find the Doctor and get him back to the TARDIS. Don't let him investigate. Stop him. Do whatever you have to. Find Chris. Just please, please get the Doctor off this ship!"

"Amy?" The Doctor asked as he entered the room, the device still in his hands. He watched the Amy on the screen before turning to the real Amy who was crying, "What have you done?"

Amy stared at him blankly before shrugging. The Doctor pocketed his device and pulled out his sonic before pointing it at his new companion.

"Yeah, your basic memory wipe job," The Doctor informed "Must have erased about 20 minutes."

"But why would I choose to forget?" Amy asked watching The Doctor with wide eyes.

"Cos everyone does," Mandy said from the other side of the door that The Doctor had left open, "Everyone chooses the "forget" button."

"Did you?" The Doctor asked.

"I'm not eligible to vote yet," Mandy informed the strange man, "I'm 12. Any time after you're 16, you're allowed to the see the film and make your choice. And then, once every five years."

"And once every five years, everyone chooses to forget what they've learned," The Doctor muttered as he scanned the screen, "Democracy in action."

"How do you not know about this?" Mandy asked The Doctor, "are you Scottish too?"

"Oh, I'm way worse than Scottish," The Doctor told the little girl, "I can't even see the movie. Won't play for me."

"It played for me," Amy pointed out.

"The difference being the computer doesn't accept me as human," The Doctor told her, flashing the sonic at Amy before turning it back on the screen.

"Why not?" Amy asked, "You look human."

"No, you look Time Lord," The Doctor argued, "We came first."

"So there are other Time Lords, yeah?" Amy asked

"No," The Doctor said, glancing at Amy, "There were, but now there aren't."

"Long story. There was a bad day. Bad stuff happened, and you know what? I'd love to forget it all, every last bit of it, but I don't. Not ever. Cos this is what I do - every time, every day, every second. This." The Doctor slammed his hand on the "protest" button, "Hold tight. We're bringing down the government. Say, "Wheee!""

* * *

Chris watched in silence as Amy and The Doctor struggled to get up out of the sludge. She was pleased to find that they both struggled more than she had. She was now leaning against the teeth of the beast, not wanting to risk slipping and falling down into the stomach. There was only one end she was willing to exit from.

"High-speed air cannon," The Doctor said quickly as he helped Amy up off the ground, "Lousy way to travel."

"Where are we?" Amy asked looking around the place, not noticing Chris.

"600 feet down, puts us at the heart of the ship." The Doctor mused, "I'd say Lancashire."

"What's this, then - a cave?" Amy asked

"Can't be a cave," The Doctor began to argue with himself, "Looks like a cave. It's a rubbish dump, and it's minging! Yes, but only food refuse. Organic, coming through feeder tubes from all over the ship. The floor's all squidgy, like a water bed."

"But feeding what, though?" Amy asked

"It's sort of rubbery, feel it," The Doctor said with a grin, "Wet and slimy. Oh, Chris would love this."

Chris considered letting them know of her presence at the mention of her name but she decided against it. She wanted to see how long it would take for them to ask where she was or notice she was there with them.

"Er It's not a floor, it's a-" The Doctor cut himself off, not wanting Amy to panic

"So It's a what?" Amy asked, already starting to panic.

"The next word is kind of the scary word. Take a moment," The Doctor ordered, "Get yourself in a calm place. Go "omm"."

"Omm," Amy hummed, copying The Doctor and closing her eyes.

"It's a tongue," The Doctor said when he thought Amy was calm enough

"A tongue?" Amy asked, the word not quite processing

"A tongue," The Doctor said, getting excited now, "A great big tongue."

"This is a mouth?" Amy asked, really panicking now "This whole place is a mouth? We're in a mouth?!"

"Yes, yes, yes," The Doctor agreed before adding: "but on the plus side, roomy."

"How do we get out?" Amy demanded

"How big is this beastie?" The Doctor asked, spinning around on the tongue, "It's gorgeous! Blimey! if this is just the mouth, I'd love to see the stomach."

There was a grumbling noise and Chris couldn't help but roll her eyes. Of course The Doctor would manage to jinx them.

"Though not right now," The Doctor added.

"Doctor, how do we get out?" Amy questioned as she too spun to look at the mouth of the beast

"OK, it's being fed through surgically implanted feeder tubes, so the normal entrance is," the Doctor looked towards the teeth, still not seeing Chris sitting against them, "closed for business."

"We can try, though," Amy said, moving towards the teeth.

"No! Stop, don't move!" The Doctor yelled, groaning as the tongue started to rumble, "Too late. It's started."

"What has?" Amy questioned

"Swallow reflex," The Doctor pulled out his sonic and pointed it at the dangly thing in the back of the beast's throat. Neither of them heard the second sonic joining in on the fun.

"What are you doing?" Amy yelled at the Time Lord while she tried not to fall on the tongue.

"I'm vibrating the chemo-receptors," The Doctor yelled, catching himself before he got another bath in the sludge.

"Chemo-what?" Amy yelled

"The eject button," The Doctor said, simplifying it for the human.

"How does a mouth have an eject button?" Amy called over

"Think about it!" The Doctor yelled back

"Right, then," The Doctor adjusted his tie as the creature growled. "This isn't going to be big on dignity."

"Allons-y!" The Doctor looked in front of him in surprise at the yell to see Chris standing proud on the tip of the tongue, looking ready to take the dive.

"Geronimo," He called back as the three of them were forced from the mouth of the beast.


	16. The Beast Below: Part Two

Chris was surprised that she didn't pass out from holding her breath for so long. She sat up and grinned at the state that the three of them were in. Sure it was disgusting and smelly but she found it fun.

She checked over The Doctor and Amy as best she could before looking around the hall that they were in. It was covered in sick and the way that they had come in was closed again. She stared at the forget button on the wall. She turned back as she heard The Doctor groan and helped the man sit up.

"Welcome to below," Chris said with a smile. She watched The Doctor look around before adding, "and I'm sorry about before Doctor."

"Oh, Chris," The Doctor sighed, "It's not your fault at all."

"Have I- Have I told you what happened yet?" Chris wondered, her voice timider than she would've liked.

The Doctor shook his head and sent Chris a small smile, "you told me once, in your future, that you would tell me, and I'm quoting you, 'when the clock struck twelve'."

Chris groaned, shaking her head and getting more sick on The Doctor who grimaced and started to get up. "I would do that, wouldn't I?"

The Doctor pulled out his sonic and scanned Amy before turning to the panel when he was satisfied with the results. He was just starting to scan when Amy began to wake up.

"There's nothing broken," The Doctor told the two women behind him, "there's no sign of a concussion and yes, you are covered in sick."

"Where are we?" Amy wondered as she spun around in awe and disgust.

"Overspill pipe, at a guess," The Doctor said, briefly pausing in his work.

"Oh, God, it stinks," Amy groaned, her nose wrinkling.

"That's not the pipe," Chris quipped as she walked up to The Doctor to get a closer look at what he was doing.

"Oh," Amy said before taking a sniff of herself, "Whoo! Can we get out?"

"One door, one door switch, one condition," The Doctor said showing the "forget" button to Amy, "We forget everything we saw. Look familiar? That's the carrot," suddenly the lights came on in the tunnel and the three of them spun to see two smilers sitting in their booth, "Ooh, here's the stick.

"There's a creature living in the heart of this ship. What's it doing there?" The Doctor walked towards the smilers, Amy and Chris following a few paces behind. The smilers' heads began to spin to reveal angry faces and The Doctor shook his head as Amy squeaked her fear, "No, that's not going to work on me, so come on. Big old beast below decks and everyone who protests gets shoved down its throat. That how it works?" The heads spun again to reveal even angrier faces.

"Oh, stop it," Chris interjected, stepping up next to The Doctor, "we're not leaving and we're not forgetting and what are you fellows going to do about it? Stick out your tongues?"

"Doctor?" Amy gasped when the smilers stood up and left their booths.

Chris glanced back to see Liz Ten behind them and sent the woman a relieved smile. Liz Ten winked at Chris before raising her gun and shooting both the smilers, gaining the attention of The Doctor and Amy. She twirled her gun and put it back in the holster that was strapped around her waist.

"Look who it is," The Doctor said while Liz Ten walked past the group to check the smilers, "You look a lot better without your mask."

"You must be Amy, Liz. Liz Ten. Hi. Lovely hair, Amy. Shame about the sick" Liz said addressing the redhead and going to shake her head before thinking better of it, "and Chris, how lovely to see you again?"

"Again?" Chris asked her brows furrowing, "we've met before?"

"You've met before?" The Doctor asked looking between Liz Ten and Chris.

"Well, not yet apparently," Liz said before drawing their attention to Mandy who had been with Liz Ten when she had shown up, "You know Mandy, yeah? She's very brave."

"How did you find us?" The Doctor asked, accepting the change in conversation even if he wasn't exactly happy with it. Chris was still watching Liz Ten with confusion.

"Stuck my gizmo on you," Liz said, tossing The Doctor her control, "been listening in. Nice moves on the hurl escape. So, what's the big fella doing here?"

"You're over 16, you've voted," The Doctor said tetchily, he didn't like that the woman in front of him had obviously upset Chris who was biting her lip despite the sick that covered it, "Whatever this is, you've chosen to forget about it."

"No," Liz Ten denied, sparing a glance at Chris in worry at the girl's silence, "Never forgot, never voted. Not technically a British subject."

"Then who and what are you, and how do you know me?" The Doctor asked he paused before adding: "and Chris? When did you meet Chris?"

"You're a bit hard to miss, love," Liz Ten said, "Chris even more so. Mysterious stranger, MO consistent with higher alien intelligence, hair of an idiot. Chris by your side with her sound advice and the voice of reason in her head. I've been brought up on the stories. My whole family was."

"Your family?" The Doctor asked when suddenly a whirring sound started behind them and the smilers began to move. The Doctor grabbed Amy's hand, pulling the redhead further behind him while Liz Ten took control of the situation with a worried glance at Chris.

"They're repairing. Doesn't take them long. Let's move." Liz Ten said, pushing Mandy in front of her while The Doctor did the same to Amy before waiting for Chris who had just shaken herself out of her stupor.

"The Doctor. Old drinking buddy of Henry and scones with Liz II," Liz Ten rattled off, giving The Doctor hints to her identity while they briskly walked away from the danger that the smilers presented, "Vicky was a bit on the fence about you, weren't she? Knighted and exiled you on the same day. Though, she does have a soft spot for Chris over there. And so much for the Virgin Queen, you bad, bad boy!"

"Liz 10?" The Doctor breathed, shooting Chris a panicked look before frowning at the say she was wringing her hands anxiously.

"Liz 10, yeah," Liz said bringing her hands into her sides and prepping her blasters. "Elizabeth X."

Chris had already pulled Mandy and Amy down so Liz's command was only for The Doctor,"And down!" She yelled, causing The Doctor to duck as she shot at the smilers that were following them with her blasters, "I'm the bloody Queen, mate. Basically, I rule."

* * *

Chris couldn't help herself. She was trying to figure out why it was that she kept on meeting people before The Doctor did. First, it was Craig, then Caecilius and Metella in Pompeii, and now she had apparently met Liz Ten before as well. She was worried about all of the apparent adventures she'd be having without The Doctor.

Her knowledge of the future was a comfort to her even as it was a burden. She didn't like not knowing what was going to happen. But then, that was a burden that literally everyone else had to bear. She began to realize that if she were to survive in this world she would have to find the balance between what she knew and what she didn't know.

For instance; she knew that The Doctor was friendly with her and that Amy was wary of her, she didn't know why. So what she needed to do was gain Amy's trust and keep that friendship with The Doctor because in the future she and the Time Lord were still friends and Amy had trusted her.

She could do that.

Chris shook her head suddenly remembering where she was. She had stopped paying attention, blindly following the group and not seeing the worried looks she was getting from both Liz Ten and The Doctor. When she looked around the area seemed to be glowing red and there was a door leading into another hall that had arms of the Star Whale trying to get their attention.

Chris stopped when she saw them banging against the bars and slowly approached. She stepped past The Doctor who tried to stop her and reached her hand out past the bar. The creature paused then and brought one of the tentacles to Chris' palm almost hesitantly, like greeting an old friend.

She was vaguely aware of the group silently watching her but the rest of her attention was placed on the bond that was formed by the contact. They didn't communicate by words but Chris felt the memories and emotions of the Star Whale flood her mind. She didn't hear herself scream or feel The Doctor trying to pull her back. She couldn't even feel Rain struggling to get Chris' mind unscrambled.

When Chris opened her eyes she was met by the worried look of the Time Lord. She gave him a shaky smile before pushing herself up and groaning and the rush that went to her head from the movement. After a few deep breaths, Chris stood with the help of The Doctor. She sent him another smile, this one stronger, before turning to Liz Ten.

"You wouldn't happen to have a place we can shower, would you?" Chris asked the queen with another smile, "my stomach is starting to react to the stench."

"Of course," Liz said, sharing a worried look with The Doctor, before turning and leading the way to her quarters.

* * *

Chris could feel the worry coming from the others and tried her best not to snap at them. She felt worried too and their concern was not helping her feel any better. She still had a headache and she could feel Rain was also swamped by the input of unexpected information.

With a roll of her eyes, Chris decided to ignore the three of them until after she got a shower and a clean change of clothes. Her bag also needed a quick wash and Chris was worried that the contents, which included a change of clothes, were also covered in sick.

Her fears were assuaged when she was able to look in her bag after being led to a large bathroom just off the queen's rooms. Chris was surprised to find that the bag didn't even smell like sick. She shook her head and grabbed everything she would need for a shower before jumping in. Not even five minutes later she was dressed in a black plaid shirt, black pants, and a red beanie. Her hair was still slightly damp but Chris found herself not caring. She slipped on a pair of converse before bundling her clothes up and leaving them in a pile like Liz had told her to do.

Chris shouldered her bag before leaving the room and allowing the disgruntled Amy in. She was holding her spare clothes out from her body, seeing as the queen herself was letting Amy borrow some of her clothes. Chris smiled at the closed door for a brief moment before going into the queen's quarters to find The Doctor stepping gently between glasses full of water.

"Why all the glasses?" The Doctor asked, not yet noticing Chris who was observing him. The Doctor had cleaned up too but he was back in his usual ensemble. Chris wouldn't be surprised if he kept a spare change in the depths of his pockets for incidents like this.

"To remind me every single day that my government is up to something, and it's my duty to find out what." Liz drawled from her spot on the large bed. She grinned over at Chris, "it was Chris that showed me."

"Was it?" Chris asked from her spot in the door frame, "you've got to stop telling me these things, Liz."

"A queen going undercover to investigate her own kingdom?" The Doctor asked, not allowing Liz the time to reply though he did shoot Chris a smile. Amy walked in then and Chris led her to the mirror so that she could put her hair up. She smiled when she saw that Amy was in another pair of pajamas that looked identical to the ones she had been wearing. Amy saw that and shot her a glare.

"Secrets are being kept from me. I don't have a choice," Liz said, shooting Chris her own apologetic smile, "Ten years I've been at this - my entire reign - and you've achieved more in one afternoon."

"How old were you when you came to the throne?" The Doctor wondered as he picked up the mask that Liz Ten had been wearing when they met.

"Forty," Liz said with a smirk.

"What, you're 50 now?" Amy asked, sitting on the lounge chair at the end of the bed, Mandy moved to join her there. "No way!"

"Yeah, they slowed my body clock," Liz's smirk grew in size, "Keeps me looking like the stamps."

"And you always wear this in public?" The Doctor asked handing the mask to Chris when she came over for the girl to examine.

"Undercover's not easy when you're me," Liz admitted, "The autographs, the bunting."

"Air-balanced porcelain," Chris said suddenly, surprised that she remembered the words from when she had watched this before. She sat on the bed next to Liz, holding the mask up to her face, "Stays on by itself, cos it's perfectly sculpted to your face."

"Yeah," Liz shrugged, not seeing the importance, "So what?"

"Oh, Liz," The Doctor sighed, taking the mask back from Chris, "So everything."

The door opened suddenly and a group of people came in. The Doctor spun and Chris stood to stand in front of Amy and Mandy. The group watched as Liz stood up to address the group that had invaded her space.

"What are you doing?" Liz demanded the man in front, "How dare you come in here?"

"Ma'am, you have expressed interest in the interior workings of Starship UK," The man in front said as Liz stalked up to him, "You will come with us now."

"Why would I do that?" Liz Ten snarled and then raised a brow when the man's face suddenly turned to reveal the face of a smiler.

"How can they be smilers?" Amy asked, moving closer to The Doctor. Chris grabbed Mandy's hand, giving the girl an affectionate smile.

"Half smiler, half human," The Doctor murmured to Amy.

"Whatever you creatures are, I am still your queen," Liz Ten growled at the smiler, intent on protecting the rest of the group, "On whose authority is this done?"

"The highest authority, Ma'am," The smiler answered

"I AM the highest authority," Liz reminded and Chris snorted, quickly covering it with a cough.

"Yes, ma'am," The smiler agreed, "you must go now, Ma'am."

"Where?" Liz Ten asked.

"The tower, Ma'am."

* * *

Amy glared again at Chris who was back wearing street clothes. She remembered Chris being different when she was younger and the change was startling. She couldn't quite bring herself to trust the other woman even if The Doctor had insisted that they were the same person.

"Doctor, where are we?" Amy asked, sidling up to the the Time Lord if only to annoy the girl walking behind her.

"The lowest point of Starship UK," The Doctor answered, looking around the room before looking back at Chris almost nervously. Amy watched his eyes harden suddenly and couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine. "The dungeon."

The tower was more of a command center in Amy's opinion, but she decided not to express that. Instead, she looked around the room, cringing at the set up in the middle, before spotting the children on the other side of the room. She glared at Chris who was already interacting with them before schooling her expression.

"Ma'am," one of the occupants of the room greeted, bowing to Liz Ten. He was an older man and looked like he cared greatly for the queen.

"Hawthorne!" Liz gushed, "So this is where you hid yourself away. I think you've got some explaining to do."

"There's children down here," The Doctor said, noting the children in the room as well, "What's all that about?"

"Protesters and citizens of limited value are fed to the beast. For some reason, it won't eat the children." Hawthorne mused, glancing to the middle of the room in wonder before looking at The Doctor whose brows were pushed together as he surveyed the room, "You're the first adults it's spared. You're very lucky."

"Yeah, look at us. The torture chamber of the Tower of London," The Doctor said sarcastically, "Lucky, lucky, lucky. Except it's not a torture chamber, is it? Well, except it is. Except it isn't. Depends on your angle."

Amy watched as The Doctor almost pranced around the room. The more he saw the angrier and angrier he seemed to get. Amy glanced at Chris once more to see that the other woman was watching The Doctor warily. The redhead's eyes widened in surprise when Chris looked over at her and winked.

"What's that?" Amy asked pointing at the contraption in the middle, not wanting to think too hard about it.

"Well, like I say, depends on the angle," The Doctor told her, "It's either the exposed pain center of big fella's brain, being tortured relentlessly Or? Or it's the gas pedal, the accelerator - Starship UK's go-faster button."

"I don't understand," Liz Ten said

"Don't you?" The Doctor spat, "Try, go on. The spaceship that could never fly, no vibration on deck. This creature - this poor, trapped, terrified creature. It's not infesting you, it's not invading - it's what you have instead of an engine. And this place down here is where you hurt it, where you torture it, day after day, just to keep it moving."

Amy couldn't tear her eyes from the middle of the room but she noticed Chris in her peripheral moving closer to one of the tentacles. She seemed to be conversing with it. When Chris spun around she was glaring at The Doctor and had tears in her eyes.

"Tell you what." The Doctor said, pointing his sonic at the tentacle he had just let out of the grating, "Normally, it's above the range of human hearing. This is the sound none of you wanted to hear."

* * *

 **He's not letting me in,** Rain told Chris who was currently talking to the Star Whale, trying to give the gentle creature as much comfort as she could, **The last thing he said was 'You don't have the right' and then he practically shoved me away.**

Chris felt the tears she had been holding back pool over. She couldn't remember exactly when Amy had pressed the button in the show but she knew that Amy needed to do it now. In order for The Doctor to trust, his companion the Scott had to be their savior.

With that in mind, Chris turned around, glaring at The Doctor who was in turn glaring at everyone in the room. She knew that included her. His mind was too chaotic, his anger and guilt too great, for him to separate her from the others.

There were too many unknowns in their relationship, as such Chris wasn't able to do anything. So instead of yelling at The Doctor like she wanted to Chris ran over to Amy, engulfing the companion in a hug.

"Look, Amy," Chris ground out when Amy struggled against her, "I know you don't trust me, I get it, really I do. But I can't explain it now. Please, you have to stop him."

Amy looked at Chris with tears in her eyes. She wasn't glaring this time and for that Chris was grateful. "Why can't you?"

Chris shook her head, "you've noticed it already, haven't you," Chris murmured to the redhead, "you know what will happen if we protest. Oh, no, no you don't know yet. Think Amelia, think."

Chris looked over at the tentacle and froze, she still had the bond with the creature even though they weren't touching. She knew she had Rain to think for that. With stiff movements, she walked back over to where The Doctor was now and stood in front of the arm. She could hear The Doctor asking her urgently what she was doing but Chris' entire focus was on the creature. This would be the third time they communicated.

The first time was memories, the second an apology, and this time Chris was given instructions. Not for what to do now, but what she couldn't do in her future. The Star Whale knew that in Chris' future, and her past, she would come to Starship UK. She knew that Chris would try, but that she wouldn't be able to set her free.

"Stop it," Liz Ten yelled at The Doctor who was still pointing his sonic at the tentacle. She turned to Hawthorne with a glare, "who did this?"

"We act on instructions from the highest authority," Hawthorne blinked, glancing at Chris who had still not turned from the tentacle

"I am the highest authority," Liz Ten argued, "The creature will be released, now. I said now! Is anyone listening to me?"

"Liz. Your mask," The Doctor said, lifting the mask out of his pocket to show the queen.

"What about my mask?" Liz asked, lifting a confused eyebrow. No one noticed Chris turn away from the creature and regard them with tears still in her eyes.

"Look at it. It's old," The Doctor told her, earnest in his voice, "At least 200 years old, I'd say."

"Yeah, it's an antique, so?" Liz shrugged, not getting the point that The Doctor was trying to make.

"Yeah, an antique made by craftsmen over 200 years ago and perfectly sculpted to your face," The Doctor said, "They slowed your body clock, all right, but you're not 50. Nearer 300. And it's been a long old reign."

"Nah, it's ten years," Liz said, shaking her head and trying to prevent herself from panicking. "I've been on this throne ten years."

"Ten years," Chris said from her spot behind them, "And the same ten years over and over again, always leading you here."

"What have you done?" Liz demanded of Hawthorne.

"Only what you have ordered," Hawthorne replied, "We work for you, Ma' Winders, the Smilers, all of us."

Hawthorne led the group over to the screen that was to play the video for Liz Ten. Mandy had found one of her friends and was talking earnestly with him while the adults watched the video. Chris stood next to Amy, giving the companion silent comfort.

"If you are watching this. If I am watching this, then I have found my way to the Tower Of London." Liz Ten watched herself on the screen with wide eyes. "The creature you are looking at is called a Star Whale. Once, there were millions of them. They lived in the depths of space and, according to legend, guided the early space travelers through the asteroid belts.

"This one, as far as we are aware, is the last of its kind. And what we have done to it breaks my heart. The Earth was burning. Our sun had turned on us, and every other nation had fled to the skies. Our children screamed as the skies grew hotter. And then it came, like a miracle. The last of the star whales. We trapped it. We built our ship around it, and we rode on its back to safety.

"If you wish our voyage to continue, then you must press the "forget" button. Be again the heart of this nation, untainted. If not, press the other button. Your reign will end, the Star Whale will be released, and our ship will disintegrate. I hope I keep the strength to make the right decision."

"I voted for this?" Amy asked, turning into the arm that Chris had wrapped around her shoulders while the video was playing, "Why would I do that?"

"Because you knew if we stayed here, I'd be faced with an impossible choice," The Doctor answered sourly, "Humanity or the alien. You took it upon yourself to save me from that. And that was wrong. You don't ever decide what I need to know."

"I don't even remember doing it," Amy protested, pushing away from Chris in order to plead with The Doctor.

"You did it," The Doctor shook his head, "that's what counts."

"I'm- I'm sorry."

"Oh, I don't care," The Doctor said to Amy, ignoring the glare that Chris was sending him, "When I'm done here, you're going home."

"Why? Because I made a mistake?" Amy asked testily, "One mistake? I don't even remember doing it. Doctor!"

"Yeah, I know," The Doctor replied, "You're only human."

"What are you doing?" Amy asked, watching as The Doctor moved to the controls.

"The worst thing I'll ever do," The Doctor told her with a glare, "I'm going to pass a massive electrical charge through the Star Whale's brain. Should knock out all its higher functions, leave it a vegetable. The ship will still fly, but the whale won't feel it."

"That'll be like killing it," Liz protested, glancing at Chris and wondering why the girl wasn't doing anything.

"Look, three options. One - I let the Star Whale continue in unendurable agony for hundreds more years. Two - I kill everyone on this ship. Three - I murder a beautiful, innocent creature as painlessly as I can," The Doctor said, glaring at everyone in the room, "And then I find a new name, cos I won't be the Doctor anymore."

"There must be something we can do, some other way," Amy protested, looking around the room, trying to get The Doctor to stop without truly interfering.

"Nobody talk to me," The Doctor yelled, "Nobody human has anything to say to me today!"

"Oh fine, shut up I got it," Chris yelled suddenly, making everyone jump. She was glaring at nothing in particular but with a shake of her head, she focused that glare back on The Doctor. "You, sir, need to shut up and think, just think for a minute. No more talkin' for you today. You are being very rude and very stupid."

"Ch-" The Doctor started only for Chris to snap at him.

"Ah- no being rude, you've not given Amy the chance to think," Chris turned to the redhead with a grin, "Amy, Amelia, Amy Pond, the girl who waited. You need to think. Remember everything that you know about The Doctor, everything you know about the Star Whale. Tell me, Amelia, if you were old and kind, what would you do?"

Amy gasped then ran over to the buttons, not giving anyone the chance to react. The Doctor didn't even realize what she was doing until she had already grabbed Liz Ten's hand and forced her to press the "protest" button.

"Amy," The Doctor yelled as the entire ship shook. He turned his glare on Chris, who was smirking at him, "Chris, what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking, Doctor, that I was tired of you shutting me out," Chris said icily, still glaring at The Doctor, "I also didn't appreciate what you said about humans and neither did Chris. So you need to take a chill and think about your actions. You need to start trusting people, Doctor, cause if you don't next time you might end up taking a life you don't need to take."

Chris suddenly fainted and hit the ground with a thud. The sound brought The Doctor out of his stunned state and he ran over to check on the girl. When he saw that she was breathing he turned to Amy with a frown, nowhere near as angry as he had been earlier.

"Amy, what have you done?" The Doctor asked, cradling Chris's head in his lap.

"Nothing at all," Amy asked turning to Hawthorne, "Am I right?"

"We've INCREASED speed," Hawthorne said in shock and Amy smirked.

"Yeah, well, you've stopped torturing the pilot," Amy said confidently, "Gotta help."

"It's still here?" Liz Ten questioned, "I don't understand."

"The Star Whale didn't come like a miracle all those years ago. It volunteered. You didn't have to trap it or torture it - that was all just you," Amy said, her smile softening the biting words, She turned to The Doctor, ignoring the pang of jealousy she felt when she saw him with Chris, "It came because it couldn't stand to watch your children cry. What if you were really old and really kind and alone? Your whole race dead, no couldn't you do then? If you were that old, and that kind, and the very last of your kind you couldn't just stand there and watch children cry."

The Doctor let out a breath then and shifted Chris in his lap so that he could bury his face in her shoulder. He took a few deep breaths trying not to let the tears fall. Chris had been right, he had been too caught up in his anger and guilt with himself to look at the full picture. He had almost killed an innocent creature.

"I'm sorry," The Doctor murmured to Chris, kissing the top of her head before looking up at Amy and sending her a small smile of apology.

* * *

"From Her Majesty," Amy said, holding out the mask to The Doctor even though he was still holding Chris, "She says there will be no more secrets on Starship UK."

"Amy, you could have killed everyone on this ship. You could have killed a Star Whale," The Doctor told Amy," and you saved it."

"I know, I know, I mean, it was Chris who practically told me what to do," Amy said, giving the girl credit, even if it was grudging, "Amazing, though, don't you think? The Star Whale. All that pain and misery and loneliness. And it just made it kind."

"But you couldn't have known how it would react. YOU couldn't," The Doctor said, shaking his head.

"But I've seen it before," Amy said, smiling at the confused look The Doctor sent her, "Very old and very kind, and the very, very last. Sound a bit familiar? Hey."

"What?" The Doctor said before looking down at Chris who was starting to come to, "we should leave soon."

"Shouldn't we say goodbye?" Amy asked, a little put out that his focus was still on Chris, "Won't they wonder where we went?"

"For the rest of their lives," The Doctor said with a grin, walking back towards the Tardis. "Oh, the songs they'll write! Never mind them. Big day tomorrow."

"Sorry, what?" Amy asked, confused and worried that The Doctor knew about her wedding.

"Well, it's always a big day tomorrow," The Doctor elaborated, "We've got a time machine. I skip the little ones."

"You know what I said about getting back for tomorrow morning," Amy started getting The Doctor's attention before he could enter the Tardis, "Have you ever run away from something because you were scared, or not ready, or just Just because you could? "

"Once a long time ago," The Doctor mused, glancing down at Chris to make sure she was alright.

"What happened?" Amy asked.

"Hello!" The Doctor grinned and waved the hand that was on Chris' knee at his new companion just as the phone inside the Tardis rang.

"Right, Doctor, there's something I haven't told you." She paused, registering what she was hearing, " No. Hang on, is that a phone ringing? People phone you? "

"Well, it's a phone box," The Doctor grinned before nodding towards the console where the phone was lighting up. He adjusted his grip on Chris so that he wouldn't drop her when he entered the Tardis after Amy, "Would you mind?"

"Hello?" Amy answered when she picked up the phone, "Sorry, who? No, seriously.

Who?" She covered the receiver to speak to the Doctor, "Says he's Prime Minister. First the Queen, now the Prime Minister. Get about, don't you?"

"Which Prime Minister?" The Doctor asked as he led Chris out on the jumpseat, making sure the girl was comfortable as Amy relayed his question.

"The British one," Amy called to him.

"Which British one?" The Doctor called and again Amy relayed his question.

"Winston Churchill for you," Amy said when The Doctor walked over to grab the phone.

"Oh! Hello, dear," The Doctor asked with a wide smile, though his eyes still showed his worry for Chris. She'd passed out after yelling at him before but it had never lasted this long. "What's up?"

"Tricky situation, Doctor. Potentially very dangerous," Churchill said, barely loud enough for Amy to hear, "I think I'm going to need you."

"Don't worry about a thing, Prime Minister," The Doctor said, his grin widening, "We're on our way."

He exchanged a few more pleasantries before hanging up and turning to Chris only to find that while he had been talking the girl had disappeared. With a frown of concern, The Doctor started to set the controls to where he was needed next.

* * *

 _A/N: Welp, I'm back! Sorry for not posting for so long. I was working this entire summer, then I was in London, then I started school. Now that I'm into the swing of things I've got my rhythm back and I'll be posting for this story more often. Please let me know what you think, where I can improve, and what confuses you. Thank you to every one that has favorited, followed, or reviewed! You guys rock and its honestly uplifiting to know that people are enjoying the story because I enjoy writing it so much._


	17. 42: Part One

**42**

Her head was pounding and she could feel sweat dripping into her mouth. With a grimace Chris turned her head so that it wasn't lying against grating and then sat up, cursing her luck. She grimaced at the rush of blood that was sent through her body and blinked her eyes open.

"I am never, ever, ever consenting to that again," Chris grumbled as she took stock of her new location, "I understand that you were afraid because he was shutting you out but there was no reason to force me inside my own head so that you could take control Rain."

 _Oh shut up,_ Rain grumbled, _we both know you weren't going to say anything on your own._

"That's not the point," Chris whined, rubbing her forehead in hoped of getting rid of the headache that she had, "I'm not built to not have control over my body, there's a reason they banned psycho-grafts. If I stayed in my mind for too much longer I would have been trapped there."

 _Well, I'm not going to apologize,_ Rain grumbled and Chris let out a deep breath.

"Great, now I'm having a fight with myself," She stood up and took a better look around the room, noting that she was in what looked like a venting area. And if the increase in temperature was any indication she knew exactly who would be arriving soon.

As if on cue the Tardis started to materialize right before Chris' eyes. She grinned and moved to hide on one side of the box, knowing that The Doctor and his companion would not be able to see her when they exited.

A short time later the door to the Tardis opened and Chris saw the feet of the two occupants as they exited. She was surprised, however, to find four more tiny feet, only for The Doctor to yell at the occupant to get back inside. Who ever was there listened and the door to the Tardis shut.

"Who was that?" Chris wondered, more curious than in the mood to scare The Doctor, there was time for that later.

Even though it was not her intention both of the other occupants in the room jumped at the sound of her voice. She grinned and was startled by the hug she suddenly found herself in. Chris froze and her body took over, shoving the hugger back and sinking into an attack stance.

 _Chris, you've gotta stop doing that,_ Rain commented, startling the girl out of her state, _You all need to get out of this room, now._

Chris shook her head before grabbing both Martha and the startled Doctor and tugging them out of the room. She had just managed to slam the door shut when four people ran up to them.

 _I'll apologize to Martha later, we've got forty-two minutes_ **,** Rain said to The Doctor and Chris couldn't help but grumble at her sudden helpfulness.

"Oi, you three!" One of the crew called, Chris couldn't quite remember their names, "Get out of there. Seal that door! Now!"

"Who are you?" An older woman yelled, "What're you doing on my ship?"

"Are you police?" A man asked as he pulled The Doctor away from the door.

"Why would we be police?" The Doctor asked as his eyebrows knit together.

"We got your distress signal," Martha told them, also confused by the question.

"If this is a ship, why can't I hear any engines?" The Doctor wondered, glancing between the four crew members.

"It went dead four minutes ago," a woman with shoulder length blonde hair told them, Chris vaguely remembered her being the captain of the ship.

"So maybe we should stop chatting and get to engineering," one of the men said, addressing the woman, "Captain."

"Secure closure active," The automated voice of the ship announced. Chris looked down the hall to see a woman running towards them, trying not to get trapped by the quickly closing doors.

"What?" The captain called, glancing at the speaker grating as though it would give her the answers to her current predicament.

"This ship's gone mad," another of the men said.

"Who activated secure closure?" the woman yelled as she passed the last door only seconds before it closed, "I nearly got locked into Area 27! Who are you?"

"He's the Doctor and I'm Martha," Martha said distractedly, noticing the inordinate amount of light coming through the single window. "Hello."

"Impact projection forty-two minutes," the automated voice called.

"We'll get out of this," the captain said, gripping the woman tightly to calm her panic, "I promise."

"Doctor!" Martha called and Chris quickly ran over to her, wanting to get a look herself.

"42 minutes until what?" The Doctor asked the woman who was definitely in charge.

"Doctor!" Martha yelled again, this time getting The Doctor's attention, he too raced over to look out the window. "Look"

"Until we crash into the sun," The captain said and Chris cringed at how despairing she sounded. She wished that she could give the woman some hope but knowing what happened was preventing her from even trying.

"How many crew members on board?" The Doctor asked, turning away from the window that Chris and Martha were still looking out of.

"Seven, including us," one of the men said, "We transport cargo across the galaxy. Everything's automated."

"Call the others," The Doctor ordered walking over to the door, "I'll get you out."

"What's he doing?!" someone called but Chris was too distracted by the sun to really pay attention.

It was the blast of heat that pulled Chris out of her head and brought he back to the situation that she was in. She wiped at the sweat covering her brown and turned to watch The Doctor who was glancing between the door and a member of the crew in concern.

"But my ship's in there!" The Doctor told them, slightly panicked.

"In the vent chamber?!" the captain questioned incredulously

"It's our lifeboat!" The Doctor told them

"It's lava," A crew member said, reading off from their equipment, "The temperature's going mad in there. Up 3,000 degrees in ten seconds and still rising. Channelling the air. The closer we get to the sun, the hotter that room'll get. We're stuck here."

"So, we fix the engines, we steer the ship away from the sun," The Doctor suggested before gesturing down a hall, "Simple! Engineering down here, is it?"

"Impact in 40.26." The voice called as Chris followed The Doctor with one last glance out the window.

* * *

The room that they entered was a mess. Chris could see the evidence of it being intentional, the clean cuts and discarded pieces. She carefully walked through the space, taking stock of what exactly had been destroyed.

There was a pipe that had been cut in half that led to the fuel valve, a cable was severed next to a dashboard. Chris didn't know the names of everything in the room but she knew enough about engines to guess at their uses.

"Blimey!" The Doctor said after taking his own look at the mess, "D'you always leave things in such a mess?"

"Oh, my God," One of the crew gasped but Chris was too busy in her attempt at cataloging to note which one.

"What happened?" Martha wondered,

"It's wrecked!" Another crew member exclaimed at the sight, their hand covering their mouth in shock.

"Pretty efficiently, too," The Doctor observed, "Someone knew what they were doing."

"Where's Korwin?" The captain of the ship demanded, "Anyone heard from him or Ashton?"

"No," another member of the crew replied, Chris really needed to learn their names.

 _The captain is Kath McDonnell, that man is Scannell, then we have Erina, and Riley, the other crew members are Abi, Korwin, and Ashton._ Rain helpfully supplied.

 _ **Now you decide to be helpful?**_ Chris admonished, _**I could have used this back with Eleven, y'know. Not you taking control of my fucking body.**_

 _I'm still not apologizing for that,_ Rain told her and Chris could just feel the other woman crossing her arms.

"Oh, we're in the Torajii system, lovely!" The Doctor said, breaking through Chris' conversation and drawing her attention back to the present, "You're a long way from home, Martha. Half a universe away."

"Yeah, feels it," Martha said absently, taking a glance around the room

"And you're still using energy scoops for fusion!" The Doctor exclaimed, missing the looks shared between the crew, looks that Chris caught, narrowing her eyes at the group. "Hasn't that been outlawed yet?"

"We're due to upgrade next docking," McDonnell evaded, "Scannell, engine report!"

"No response," Scannell responded after checking the engine

"What?" McDonnell demanded

"The controls are wrecked, I can't get them back online," was the man's reply as he examined the abundance of cut chords.

"Oh, come on! Auxiliary engines!" The Doctor suggested, removing his glasses, "every craft's got auxiliaries!"

"They can't access them from here, Doc," Chris cut in, "that would be too easy, and when are our lives ever easy."

"We don't have access from here," another member of the crew confirmed, "The auxiliary controls are in the front of the ship. With 29 password-sealed doors between us and them. We'll never get there on time."

"Can't you override the doors?" The Doctor asked, glancing at Chris with mild concern.

"No, sealed closure means what it says," Scannell told him, "They're all deadlock sealed."

"So a sonic screwdriver's no use," The Doctor mused looking to Chris for confirmation.

"Nothing's any use!" The unintroduced crew member griped, "We've got no engines, no time and no chance."

"Oh, listen to you, defeated before you've even started!" The Doctor admonished. Martha glanced at Chris who simply winked at the woman, "Where's your Dunkirk spirit? Who's got the door passwords?"

"They're randomly generated. Reckon I'd know most of them," A young man said, stepping forward, "Sorry, Riley Vashtee."

"What're you waiting for, Riley Vashtee?" The Doctor wondered

"It's a two person job," Riley informed the Timelord, "One to take this for the questions, the other to carry this. The oldest and cheapest security system around. Reliable and simple."

"Just like you, Riley," McDonnell teased, Chris grinned at Riley's reaction.

"Try to be helpful, get abuse," Riley grinned too, knowing that McDonnell meant it as a compliment, "Nice."

"I'll help you," Martha offered and Chris frowned slightly, "Make myself useful."

"It's remotely controlled by the computer panel," Riley explained to Martha as the companion took one of the parts for the locks. "That's why it needs two."

"Oi," The Doctor called, getting Martha's attention, "be careful."

"You too," Martha said with a glance to Chris who was still frowning, "Both of you."

"You're amazing Martha Jones, don't you ever doubt that," Chris called after the other woman, who simply grinned and shook her head.

"McDonnell, it's Ashton," A voice called over the intercom."

"Where are you?" McDonnell questioned, before asking after he husband, "Is Korwin with you?"

"Get up to the Medcenter, now!" Ashton demanded and without another thought, McDonnell took off, The Doctor and Chris quickly following her.

Chris waited outside the med bay while everyone else ran in. She didn't want to overcrowd the area and she was already drenched in sweat. She didn't want to admit that she was scared, bt she was. She knew that everything ended fine in this adventure but it was such a close call and she didn't want her being there to make anything worse.

 _You're such a baby,_ Rain complained and Chris groaned as she threw her head back.

"Seriously, what has gotten into you, Rain?" Chris asked the woman in her mind, "You've been really rude recently and I'm worried."

 _I'm fine,_ Rain argued before receding into Chris' mind so that the human couldn't talk to her.

When things seemed calmer in the other room Chris stepped in. She

"What's wrong with him?" McDonnell asked The Doctor.

"Rising body temperature, unusual energy readings," The Doctor mumbled, not answering McDonnell.

"Stasis chamber?" Chris asked, ignoring the shocked look she got from the occupants of the room. She shrugged and finger waved at them before looking back to The Doctor.

"I do love a good stasis chamber!" The Doctor cheered, grinning at Chris before turning and pointing at the chamber, "keep him sedated in there, regulate the body temperature. And just for fun run a bio-scan, a tissue profile, and a metabolic detail."

"Just doing them now," Abi informed The Doctor, shooting confused looks between him and Chris.

"Ooh, you're good!" The Doctor complimented, "Anyone else presenting these symptoms?"

"Not so far," Abi confirmed

"That's something!"

"What's the matter with him?" McDonnell asked, placing a hand on her husband's forehead before looking at The Doctor

"Some sort of infection," The Doctor replied, looking to Chris for some sort of confirmation, "We'll get the test results. Now, back downstairs, eh, see about those engines."

Chris saw that McDonnell wasn't listening to The Doctor's order and grabbed the woman's hand, "let's go check on that engine, keep your crew safe."

McDonnell nodded and Chris kept a tight grip on the woman's hand as she led her out of the medical bay.

"Call us if there's news," The Doctor ordered, preparing to follow Chris and the others "Any questions?"

"Yeah," Abi called, stopping The Doctor just as he was about to leave, "Who are you two?"

"I'm the Doctor," The Doctor told her, "and that lovely lady is my friend Chris."

* * *

"Heat shield failing at 25," the system announced, "Impact in 32.50."

"Chris, you alright?" The Doctor asked once they were back in the engine room.

Chris glanced at The Doctor and smiled, "I'm fine, just trying to stay out of everyone's way."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow at the woman and she sighed, "What, I said I'm fine. Now, if you don't get to work with those engines none of us will be fine. I'm gonna check up on Abi, you continue to save the day, hotshot."

With a frown The Doctor did as he was told, missing the look of pain that crossed Chris' face as the woman tried to talk to Rain once again. With a sigh, she walked over to the comm to talk to Abi.

"Hey, Abi, it's Chris, you don't know me but I'm with The Doctor, how's Korwin doing?" Chris said resting her forehead against the wall.

"He's under heavy sedation," Abi told the girl, "I'm just trying to make sense of this data. Give me a couple of minutes and I'll let you know."

"Alright, stay safe, Abi," Chris replied before messing with the controls so that she could talk to Martha, "Martha Jones, Riley Vashti, how you guys progressing over there?"

"Area 29, at the door to 28," Martha informed and Chris grinned.

"Alright, girl, keep it up." Chris glanced at the clock which conveniently held the countdown time, "scratch that, if you could speed it up a bit?"

"We're going as fast as we can," Martha replied and Chris shook her head.

"I know, you're amazing Martha," Chris grinned.

"Hey!" Riley called indignantly.

"Get back to work, Riley," Chris retorted

"Find the next number in the sequence: 313, 331, 367." Riley read out to Martha, Chris looked up, feeling a presence next to her to see The Doctor"What?!"

"You said the crew knew all the answers!" Martha called, disbelieving

"The crew's changed since we set the questions," Riley explained.

"You're joking," Marth groaned

"379," The Doctor told them.

"What?" Riley called

"It's a sequence of happy primes," The Doctor explained.

"Happy what?" Riley asked

"Just enter it!" The Doctor yelled

"Are you sure?" Martha wondered, "We only get one chance!"

"Any number that reduces to one when you take the sum of the squares of its digits, and continue iterating until it yields one, is a happy number. Any number that doesn't, isn't. A happy prime is a number that's both happy and prime Now type it in!" The Doctor glanced at McDonnell as she climbed back into the room, "I dunno, talk about dumbing down, don't they teach recreational mathematics any more?"

"Be nice Doctor," Chris scolded before turning her attention to the comm again, "Oi, Martha, be careful, there may be something else on this ship."

"Any time you wanna unnerve me, feel free," Martha commented.

"Will do, thanks," The Doctor quipped, earning himself an elbow from Chris, who in turn got a glare from The Doctor.

"I said be nice, now get back to work."

"Fine," The Doctor grumbled, before moving on to a set of controls that Chris recognized.

"Chris, Doctor, these readings are starting to scare me," Abi's voice came over the comm a little later, making Chris curse.

"What d'you mean?" The Doctor asked when he got to the control.

"Korwin's body's changing," Abi told the timelord, awed by her findings, "His whole biological make-up, it's impossible."

"Abi," Chris said, shoving The Doctor out of the way, "Listen to me, you need to get out of there. Korwin's not himself, you know this, just get out of there now!"

"This is Medcentre, urgent assistance requested, urgent assistance!" Abi said mere moments later. Chris cursed before turning to The Doctor that was already ordering people around.

"Stay here!" The Doctor yelled as he ran off to assist Abi, "Keep working!"

"Abi, it's Chris, you need to get out of there. The Doctor is on his way but please, get out of there."

"Urgent assistance!" Abi repeated, not hearing Chris who ran off then, hoping that somehow, something would change.

"Abi, they're on their way,"

* * *

"Captain!" Scannell called, catching up to the trio

"I told you to stay in engineering!" The Doctor reminded the crew member that had followed them to the med bay.

"I only take orders from one person," Scannell told The Doctor before taking the lead

"Is he always this cheery?" The Doctor questioned before he followed after Chris who was already taking the lead from Scannell, knowing there was no time to waste.

She pushed herself, hoping to make it to the med bay before anything happened, when she heard Korwin speaking. Chris pushed past Scannell and kept running as fast as she could to make it on time.

A bloodcurdling scream brought Chris to a standstill. Breathing heavily and ignoring the tremor in her hands Chris carefully continued forward. She did her best to ignore the guilt and fear that was turning her stomach as she entered the medbay to find it empty of both Abi and Korwin.

Chris' attention was immediately caught by the outline of the ship's medic. She stared at it, the pain she felt nearly enough to bring her to her knees. As it was Chris was having a hard time breathing as she tried to slow her heart rate and bring everyone's attention to the tragedy in front of her.

"Korwin's gone!" Scannell noted as the other three entered the Med bay. They all looked around with the vague hope that they'd find the infected man when Scannell noticed that Chris was just staring at the wall. He noticed the outline of his friend and took in a deep breath, drawing the attention of the others to the wall, "Oh, my God, tell me that's not Lerner."

"Endothermic vaporization," The Doctor noted, tracing a finger delicately above the outline of Abi, not wanting to disturb or disrespect her, "Horrible. I've never seen one this ferocious."

"Burn with me," Chris murmured, drawing everyone's attention to her, "That's what Korwin said."

"What? You think?" McDonnell exclaimed, understanding what Chris was insinuating, "No way! Scannell, tell them! Korwin is not a killer. He can't vaporize people! He's human!"

"His bio-scan results," The Doctor murmured, moving onto the results that Abi had been talking about, "Internal temperature 100 degrees, body oxygen replaced by hydrogen. Your husband hasn't been infected. He's been overwhelmed."

"The results are wrong," McDonnell insisted, snatching the paper that The Doctor had been looking at from the Time Lord's grip.

"What is it? A parasite, mutagenic virus?" The Doctor wondered, staring at the ceiling as though it would give him the answers he sought, "Something that needs a host body, but how did it get inside him?"

"Stop talking like he's some kind of experiment!" McDonnell ordered The Doctor who was not paying the distressed woman any attention.

"Where's the ship been recently?" The Doctor demanded to know, "docked with any other vessels? Any sort of external contact?"

"Is this an interrogation?" Scannell snapped, seeing that the timelord's questions were distressing his friend more than necessary.

"We've gotta stop him, before he kills again," Chris spoke up from where she was standing, observing the group, "McDonnell, Kathy, you can't keep these secrets to yourself anymore, you're endangering the lives of your crew."

"We're just a cargo ship," McDonnell told them, running a hand down her face.

"Doctor, if you give her a minute," Scannell pleaded, seeing how stressed his captain was at the moment.

"I'm fine, I need to warn the crew," McDonnell shrugged Scannell's concern off, moving to the com to warn her crew and Martha, "Everybody, listen to me. Something has infected Korwin. We think" She paused for a moment, "he killed Abi Lerner. None of you must go anywhere near him.

Is that clear?"

"Understood, Captain," Riley Vashti replied over the com.

"Erina, get back here with that equipment," Ashton's demanded over the comm.

"24.51," The computer said, adding a level of stress that really wasn't needed.

"Is the infection permanent?" McDonnell asked, "Can you cure him?"

"I don't know," The Doctor said, glancing over to Chris who was staring at the bio scan unseeingly.

"Don't lie to me, Doctor," McDonnell snapped, "we chose this ship together. He keeps me honest. So I don't want false hope."

"The parasite's too aggressive," The Doctor said after a moment, "Your husband's gone. There's no way back. I'm sorry."

"Thank you," McDonnell sighed closing her eyes briefly

"Are you certain nothing happened to provoke this?" The Doctor continued after a moment, "Nobody's working on anything secret? Cos it's vital that you tell me."

"I know every inch of this ship," McDonnell assured The Doctor, "I know every detail of my crew's lives. There is nothing."

"Then why's this thing so interested in you?" The Doctor wondered.

"I wish I knew," McDonnell shook her head, trying to figure out why this would be happening to her crew.

"Doctor, we're through to Area 17," Martha announced, jogging a memory for Chris whose head shot up eyes wide.

"Shit," Chris yelled suddenly, taking off much to everyone's surprise. She made her way back towards the engine room, hoping that she could just change something.

 _Chris, no,_ Rain suddenly said, stopping Chris in her tracks, _It's too late._

 _ **What do you mean it's too late?**_ Chris asked, _**Rain, I have to try.**_

 _Chris, I can feel Ashton, it's too late._ Rain insisted and Chris bowed her head. _Erina is gone too._

"No," Chris said brokenly, "I couldn't even do anything."

 _You can't give up now, Chris, Ashton is heading towards Martha._

Chris nodded to herself and took off towards where Martha had gone initially, hoping to make it there before anything happened. She'd failed to save two lives, maybe she could prevent The Doctor from going through the pain that he goes through with the sun.

"Doctor," Martha's panicked voice came over the com and Chris pushed herself to run faster, "Chris! We're stuck in an escape pod off the Area 17 airlock! One of the crew's trying to jettison us! You've gotta help us!"

 _ **How do you get to area 17?**_ Chris asked, coming up to a fork in the hallway, _**Which way do I go?**_

 _Left,_ Rain replied and Chris followed the direction, taking off once more.

* * *

Martha stared in horror as Ashton appeared in the circular glass panel of the hallway. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach and her heart started racing as the system announced that the pod was going to be jettisoned for the third time.

"Tell me you can stop it," Martha demanded of Riley while her attention remained focused on the possessed crew member.

"Jettison held," The system announced and Martha felt her shoulders relax a tad.

"Thank you," She murmured gratefully.

"Jettison reactivated," Martha tensed again, her heart racing in terror.

"Come on!" Riley urged, "Sierpinski sequence! This'll get him."

"Jettison held," The system announced, "Escape Pod stabilized."

"You're pretty good," Martha praised, sharing a smile with Riley.

* * *

Chris entered area 17 to see Ashton pressing buttons on the pod control and without a second though she ran towards him. Only for the infected man to smash the controls before she reached him. Chris let out a frustrated yell before tackling the man to the ground and quickly turning to the controls.

"That's enough!" The Doctor yelled, gaining Ashton's attention while Chris' remained on the now broken controls. She panicked when she saw that the jettison was initiating again.

"What do you want?" The Doctor demanded as Ashton approached him, deeming The Doctor to be the bigger threat, "Why this ship? Tell me!"

"Jettison activated," The system announced and Chris leaned her head against the metal for a moment before pressing the button to activate the comm.

She turned to watch The Doctor as Ashton walked away from the man.

"McDonnell," Chris said "Ashton's heading in your direction. He's been infected just like Korwin."

"Korwin's dead, Chris," McDonnell told the woman who closed her eyes briefly in defeat.

"Scannell, I need a space suit brought to area 17 immediately," Chris ordered, her voice calm despite the panic that she was feeling, "no complaints just please, do it."

"I'll save you!" Chris heard The Doctor yelling behind her and she closed her eyes, bowing her head, "I'll save you."

"Impact in 17.05" The system announced.

"Sorry, I'm so sorry," Chris breathed, not seeing The Doctor turn to glare at her.


	18. 42: Part Two

"The wonderful world of space travel," Riley said, staring at Martha as she looked out the window, "Prettier it looks, the more likely it is to kill you."

"He'll come for us," Martha assured the man.

"It's too late," Riley argued, not wanting the woman to have false hope, "Our heat shields'll pack in any minute. Then we go into freefall. We'll fall into the sun way before he has a chance to do anything."

"You don't know the Doctor or Chris," Martha insisted, "I believe in them."

"Then you're lucky," Riley said, "I've never found anyone worth believing in."

"No girlfriend?" Martha asked and Riley shook his head, "Boyfriend?"

"The job doesn't lend itself to stable relationships," Riley chuckled.

"Family, then?" Martha wondered.

"My dad's dead," Riley told the woman, "I haven't seen my mum in six years. She didn't want me to sign up for cargo tours. Things were said and, since then, all silent. She wanted to hold on to me. I know that. God, she's so stubborn."

"Yeah, well," Martha shrugged, "That's families."

"What about you?" Riley wondered.

"Oh, the works," Martha told him, "Mum, Dad, Dad's girlfriend, brother, sister. There's no silence there. So much noise!" Martha paused in realization, "God! They'll never know. I'll just have disappeared. And they'll always be waiting."

"Call them," Riley urged gently, knowing that the girl would regret it if she didn't.

(000)

Chris was breathing heavily, trying to relax so that she could focus on the task at hand when suddenly someone grabbed her shoulders and started shaking her. Her head snapped up to see The Doctor glaring at her, his eyes dark.

"You," The Doctor growled, "why didn't you do anything? Why didn't you save her?"

Chris could feel her panic deepening but there was little she could do about it. The Doctor tightened his grip on her shoulders so that it was painful to the woman who was unable to stop the panic that was rising in her.

"I-" Chris started before closing her eyes, "I-"

"You could have stopped this," The Doctor said evenly, his voice much calmer, it felt deadly to Chris and made her shiver.

Tears started to roll down Chris' cheeks as she kept her eyes shut tight, the guilt piling up. The Doctor was right, Chris could have stopped this. She could have gone with Riley, she could have gotten to Martha sooner, she could have prevented both Abi and Erina's death. But she didn't. Chris didn't do anything to prevent all of this. She had tried, but what use is trying when people, good people, were dead.

"Doctor," Scannell said, interrupting the two.

After a final painful squeeze to Chris' shoulder, The Doctor shoved the girl away and turned to Scannell, who was holding an orange suit. The Doctor raised an eyebrow at the man in question.

"Chris told me to bring it," Scannell said, nodding to the girl with concern showing clearly in his eyes.

Chris leaned against the wall trying and failing to catch her breath. The short shallow breaths were not getting enough oxygen to her system and her heart was beating a lot faster than was healthy. Her eyes were still tightly shut and her whole body was shaking as she tried to prevent the oncoming panic attack.

The Doctor felt a brief moment of concern for the woman before turning to Scannell and grabbing the suit, understanding of what he needed to do dawning on him.

"I can't let you do this!" Scannell said when understanding clicked.

"You're wasting your breath, Scannell," The Doctor pointed out, casting another glance at Chris as the woman slid to the floor, "You're not gonna stop me."

"Open an airlock on a ship spinning into the sun?" Scannell questioned, "You can't survive."

"Oh, just you watch!" The Doctor grinned for a moment.

"It's suicide," Scannell deadpanned, "This close to the sun, the shields'll barely protect you."

"If I can boost the magnetic lock, it should remagnetize the pod," The Doctor explained, "You've got to get the rest of the doors open, we need those auxiliary engines."

"Doctor!" Scannell said, "They're too far away. It's too late."

"I'm not gonna lose her," The Doctor said with one final glare at Chris before turning to the controls.

"Decompression initiated," The system announced.

"Impact in 12.55."

* * *

She'd messed up. That was obvious. Two lives had been lost, The Doctor was pissed at her, and she was about to go into a full blown panic attack. Chris tried to snap herself out of it but she was quickly losing control of her body. It felt like she was trapped and there was nothing she could do about it.

 _Why're you giving up?_ Rain asked, startling the young woman.

 _ **What else can I do?**_ Chris wondered to herself, _**The Doctor's pissed and I don't want to mess anything else up.**_

 _You've not messed up anything, dumbass,_ Rain pointed out, _You've not changed anything, sure, but you've not messed anything up. In fact, you've made things easier for The Doctor, not that he's noticed, the prick._

 _ **What?**_ Chris asked, _**What did I make easier?**_

 _The suit, the controls, and you know what you're gonna do next,_ Rain told the human, _you've had this plan since the start, you can't hide it from me._

 _ **Oh,**_ Chris said, understanding spreading through her body and pushing the panic away.

Chris took a deep breath and blew it out before blinking her eyes open. The Doctor was already out of the ship and Scannell was nowhere to be seen. She slowly pushed herself up and stumbled to the controls, trying to make sense of them as the fog left her brain.

While the panic had subsided the tremors still remained and Chris was finding it difficult to focus. She closed her eyes briefly and leaned her forehead against the wall.

"Heat shields failing." The system announced and Chris took a deep breath before pressing the comm.

"Scannell, Chris here, whatever happens, keep moving forward on those locks. The Doctor will have some help for you shortly, I promise," Chris told the man before moving away from the comm as she heard the door beginning to open. Chris was immediately at The Doctor's side as he stumbled through.

"It's alive," The Doctor growled, pushing Chris away, "You knew it was alive and you let it suffer."

Chris sighed, pushing the guilt down as she gripped The Doctor's shoulder tightly. She shook the Time Lord a little before suddenly bringing their lips together. Chris didn't notice as Martha entered the corridor, her expression falling to disappointment.

 **What?** The Doctor demanded weakly before he felt the entity that was in his body move from his to Chris'. He tried to pull it back but whatever was moving it was too strong for him.

 _Do not worry,_ Rain told The Doctor, _We are in control._

Suddenly Chris scrambled back from The Doctor, her breathing heavy and her eyes shut tightly. She grit her teeth against the pain before breathing deeply. Her voice when she spoke was deeper than her own, but she was the one who chose her words as The Rain encased the sun in a barrier to prevent a full infection.

"Vent the engines," Chris gritted out, keeping her teeth clenched, "DO IT."

"Go, Martha, Riley," The Doctor ordered as he caught his breath. "Vent the engines."

"Doctor," Martha breathed, "what-"

"Martha," Chris interrupted, her voice strained, "the sun is alive, you have to vent the engines."

Chris turned her head slightly, hearing someone else approach as she kept her eyes closed, "you."

McDonnell entered the room but paused when everyone turned to look at her.

"It's your fault," Chris hissed, "you should have scanned for life."

"W- what," McDonnell stuttered.

Chris took a deep shuddering breath as a wave of pain and heat coursed through her body, she cried out before yelling at the captain of the ship, "you should have scanned for life!"

"Chris," The Doctor breathed before turning to Martha and Riley and snapping at them, "go vent the engines!"

Martha gave Chris one more worried look before nodding at The Doctor and pulling Riley after her. McDonnell remained with the Time Lord and the human, glancing between them guiltily.

"Doctor," Chris groaned reaching for the man, "please."

The Doctor quickly moved to the woman and grabbed her hand. He could feel guilt welling in his chest as she watched the woman writhe in pain. He was about to lean forward and draw the sun back into his body when a voice sounded in his head.

 _You can't,_ Rain stopped the man in his tracks, _You draw it back into yourself and we both die._

 **But I can't let you do this, Chris.**

 _Stasis chamber, you know what we can withstand._ Rain ordered.

The Doctor nodded before gathering the woman into his arms and standing up. He staggered towards the med bay and was grateful when McDonnell moved to help stabilize him.

"Why did you do this?" The Doctor ground out as the ran towards the stasis chamber.

"Because I trust you," Chris grit out between grunts of pain, "because I trust you and I cannot watch you suffer."

"Why didn't you just tell me," The Doctor grunted as he shifted the woman, "why'd you let the sun suffer if you knew it was alive."

"I'm only human," Chris sighed before suddenly going limp.

"Chris," The Doctor called down to the woman in his arms, his voice panicked. He felt Chris's breath on his neck as the woman's head flopped to rest on his shoulder and let out a breath of relief.

As soon as they entered the med bay The Doctor set Chris down in the stasis chamber and got to work. He started pushing buttons, entering formulas and pulling levers as McDonnell watched, unsure how to help.

"Heat shield's failing, at five percent," the system called.

The Doctor was just about to start the chamber when suddenly the power was cut. He hit the machine before turning to McDonnell.

"What happened," The Doctor demanded.

"Power was cut in engineering," McDonnell said, reading out from a screen.

"Kath," Chris' voice said, making The Doctor and McDonnell turn to the woman, "Kath, you must stop them. I- I'm I'm so sorry."

"I understand," McDonnell said before taking off, leaving the Time Lord and Chris alone in the med bay.

"Doctor," Chris called, voice hoarse and searching, "Doctor, I'm so afraid. Always so afraid."

"I'm sorry," The Doctor said grabbing Chris' hands in his own as he bowed his head, "I'm so sorry."

"I can't control it anymore," Chris grunted, "Doctor, I could kill you."

"Oh Chris," The Doctor murmured, pushing her sweat drenched hair out of her face.

Suddenly Chris started screaming as the sun particles left her body. Tears ran down her face as she clenched The Doctor's hands till his bones creaked. He watched with guilt in his eyes as the woman in front of him took deep breaths when she was done screaming.

"So close," Chris murmured, her voice sounding like her own, "Doctor."

Chris suddenly screamed again as the ship started to shake. The Doctor gripped the woman tightly to keep her from falling off the table as the system called out that the impact was averted. The Doctor let out a relieved breath as the ship stabilized and moved away from the sun.

Chris groaned and turned on her side, clutching at her head. The Doctor quickly turned his attention to her, guilt filling his eyes at the state that the woman was in. He ran a hand over her forehead and was relieved to feel that her temperature was returning to normal.

"How did you survive that," The Doctor questioned the woman, not expecting a reply and receiving none, "how do you continue to surprise me?"

"Easily," Chris murmured before falling into a deep sleep.

* * *

After a few hours of checking the ship's damage, calling the police, and making sure Chris was going to have no residual effects, The Doctor, Chris, and Martha stood outside the Tardis with the two remaining members of the crew. Chris was leaning heavily against the Tardis, in need of at least forty-two hours of sleep, while The Doctor and Martha talked with the other two.

"This is never your ship," Riley said disbelievingly.

"Compact, eh?" The Doctor said proudly, "And another good word - robust. Barely a scorch mark on her."

"She's quite the beauty, ain't she," Chris teased, running a hand down the side of the Tardis while The Doctor shot her a playful glare.

"We can't just leave you drifting with no fuel," Martha said, turning back to the crew members concerned, after shooting Chris a grin.

"We've sent out an official mayday," Scannell told the woman, "The authorities'll pick us up soon enough. Though how we explain what happened."

"Just tell them that the sun needs care and protection just like any other living thing," The Doctor said before walking into the Tardis, Chris following him after sending Martha a wink and a grin.

"So, you're off then?" Riley said softly as he and Martha moved to the side a little to have a private conversation, "No chance I'll see you again?"

"Not really," Martha told him honestly. "It was nice - not dying with you. I reckon you'll find someone worth believing in," Martha told the male with a grin.

"I think I already did," Riley said before pulling Martha in for a kiss.

"Well done," Martha grinned when the two pulled away, "Very hot."

* * *

In the Tardis, Chris and The Doctor were both silently mulling over what had happened. Chris was sitting in the jumpseat while The Doctor was fiddling with some controls on the Tardis.

Chris started fiddling with the ring on her thumb while she waited for The Doctor to break the silence. After a minute or two of silence, Chris gave up waiting.

"So…" She and The Doctor ended up saying at the same time.

"You first," The Doctor insisted, turning to face Chris.

"I'm sorry," Chris said, surprising The Doctor, "I know you feel like I could have done more, or stopped the sun from suffering sooner or any number of things."

"I-" The Doctor tried to interrupt but Chris held up a hand so that she could continue uninterrupted.

"You may not consciously think that, Doc, but I know you wonder why I do things as I do them," The Doctor nodded at that, "I'm gonna be honest, Doc, I don't know. I have no idea what I'm doing ninety-nine percent of the time and I need you to understand that just because I might know some things it doesn't mean I'm all knowing."

The Doctor sighed before going to sit next to Chris, "I know, Chris, believe me, I do. And I'm sorry too, I let my worry get the best of me and I take it out on you. I want to say that I'll do better but I've said that before and here I am now."

"It's okay, Doctor," Chris said softly, smiling gently at the Time Lord, "we've all made mistakes. If you continue to blame yourself you'll get nothing done."

"And the same goes for you, Chris," The Doctor insisted, "You're not at fault any more than the rest of us are."

"Thank you," Chris said, letting out a relieved breath, "That is nice to hear." She looked at the Doctor, smiling faintly, "now I need to get some sleep, Doc, can you point me to my room."

"So, didn't really need you in the end, did we?" Martha called as she entered the Tardis letting the door close behind her, "Sorry," She muttered, noticing how close the two were with a pang and also seeing how tired and beat up Chris looked, "How are you doing?"

"I'm feeling like I fancy a shower, a nap, and a trip to somewhere cold," Chris said with a grin at the companion before she was suddenly engulfed in a white light off to another adventure.

* * *

A/N: Hahaha *sweats profusely* What do you mean I haven't updated since last year? What do you mean it's already almost May?

I am sorry about that.

I am thinking we're gonna have some ninth doctor in the next chapter but I might be wrong and it may be twelve's turn next. What do you guys think?

Any ways, I hope you guys enjoyed these last two chapters! Please review and let me know who you wanna see next!


	19. Aliens of London

"It's twelve months," Chris heard someone say from another room, "you've been gone a whole year."

Chris blinked her eyes open, allowing them to adjust to the light in the room she was in. When she could focus she noticed that the room was very pink and there were pictures of one Rose Tyler and another Mickey Smith in the room. She grinned and sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

She felt a little more awake than she had before popping off but she knew that if she didn't sleep soon then she'd pass out during something dangerous. Her clothes were still the ones that she had worn on her last adventure and she felt very much so in need of a shower. She swung her legs over the bed and stood up. She glanced at the pink sheets and noted with a grimace that they would need a wash because of her.

She very carefully opened the door to the room and slid into the hallway, making sure the door made no sound as she shut it behind her. Chris tiptoed to where the voices were and were just in time to see the ninth Doctor get slapped in the face by one Jackie Tyler.

Chris couldn't help but burst into laughter at The Doctor's shocked look. She doubled over missing the looks of confusion and suspicion from the other three. By the time she calmed down The Doctor had moved in front of the other two and was scanning Chris, probably to make sure she was human.

"Alrighty, mate," Chris said, and then blushed after she hiccuped. "Oh, sorry, I don't think I've slept in awhile. I've also spent the last forty-two minutes preventing a spaceship from crashing into the sun in the Torajii system, it was quite the dangerous adventure and… Oh sorry, spoilers."

"Who are you?" The Doctor demanded suddenly, drawing the human's attention to him.

"Oh, your ears are big, aren't they," Chris chuckled before suddenly frowning, "you really don't know who I am, do you?"

"How'd you get in here?" Jackie demanded, assuming a protective stance in front of Rose now that there were two threats to her daughter.

"I just kinda… appeared? Yeah, that's the word appeared. I just kinda appeared in Rose's bed, sorry about your sheets dear. The Torajii sun is very hot when you have no heat shields." Chris paused then, "sorry, spoilers again. I'm Chris Wesley, nice to meetcha."

The Doctor's brows furrowed as he examined the human in front of him. She didn't seem to be dangerous but his scan showed something that wasn't human inside her. He'd have to get a more thorough scan on the Tardis later to be sure of it though.

Rose turned to The Doctor in shock, looking between The Timelord and the woman standing in her mom's living room.

"How can that be Chris?" Rose questioned The Doctor, gaining Chris' attention as the black-haired human frowned.

"Sorry, what?" Chris asked, "'ave we met before or not? You two are confusing me now."

"We've met Chris Wesley before but you're not her." The Doctor said darkly, trying to figure out what he should do with this woman who was pretending to be his friend.

"Unless I somehow regenerated or you're keeping something from me then I'm the only Chris Wesley that's popping up randomly in your timeline, Doc," Chris said, addressing The Doctor because she knew she'd have to get him to trust her in order for her to stay. "Of course, there could be multiple Chris Wesley's but you seemed to know me in the future and you weren't confused as to who I was then."

"Hmm," The Doctor hummed crossing his arms as he processed what the human said. He was surprised that she simply stood there and took it, letting him do his thing.

"Hey Doc, Jackie, Rose before too many more questions are asked is it possible for me to take a shower and perhaps change my clothes. I was serious about the whole sun thing."

So much for letting him do his own thing.

* * *

After Chris had showered and changed into new clothes, courtesy of the Tardis (not that The Doctor had let her in the Tardis, he'd just grabbed clothes for her, they weren't even her clothes), the Quatro sat down in Jackie's living room. Despite the protests of the other three Jackie had decided to call the police in order to get a statement and potentially make money off of a claim or a lawsuit against the bald man that claimed to be traveling with her daughter.

Chris was sitting next to Rose, leaning back against the couch with her eyes closed. If it wasn't for the facial expressions she was making The Doctor would have thought she was asleep. This Chris seemed to respond in much the same way as the Chris both he and Rose had met previously. She would wrinkle her nose or raise an eyebrow to express whatever she was feeling but would only interject when she knew what she was going to say before hand.

Except when she was tired, apparently. The Chris that he had met before was a woman of few words, however, it was obvious that she had been through a lot so maybe it was just that this Chris was much younger than the other Chris.

Whatever the case he didn't trust the woman in front of him. She obviously knew more than she was letting on. She had also apparently been sleeping in Rose's bed which did not sit well with him at all. The Doctor was very protective of his companions.

 _I know you're watching me._ A voice spoke in his mind, making The Doctor jump and look around suspiciously.

Who are you? He demanded, not noticing that Chris was watching him with an amused smile.

 _Guess, you get two of them._

Chris? The Doctor asked, snapping his head over to look at the woman who was giving him a thumbs up.

 _Got it in one, you must be proud._

How are you doing this? The Doctor demanded.

 _How are_ you _doing this?_ Chris countered easily.

Telepathic fie- He cut himself off, you don't actually need me to explain, do you?

 _Not particularly, no._ Chris was watching the proceedings with the cop as she spoke with The Doctor, _I know you don't trust me, doc, I can feel it coming off you in waves._

Empath?

 _Low level, yes._

Interesting. The Doctor commented when he suddenly felt an elbow in his side and turned to see Rose glaring at him.

"You gonna help me or what?" Rose snapped, making The Doctor wince.

"Sorry," The Doctor murmured, properly chastised by his blonde companion.

* * *

Chris was exhausted. The cop had left and Rose had gone to the roof nearly ten minutes ago. She knew that The Doctor wanted to follow but that he still considered Chris to be a risk factor. She groaned and curled herself into a ball, slipping her shoes off as she did so and letting them fall to the ground.

"I'm gonna take a nap, you can go check on Rose, y'know," Chris told the time lord before flipping over and snuggling into the back of the couch for comfort.

By the time the front door was closed Chris was asleep

* * *

"I can't tell her. I can't even begin. She's never going to forgive me," Rose said when The Doctor arrived on the rooftop, " and I missed a year. Was it good?"

"Middling," The Doctor teased, leaning against the rail.

"You're so useless," Rose said with a laugh. The two waited in silence for a moment before The Doctor spoke.

"Well, if it's this much trouble, are you gonna stay here now?" He asked, glancing at the human.

"I don't know," Rose said honestly, "Can't do that to her again, though."

"Well, she's not coming with us," The Doctor joked.

"No chance!" Rose agreed

"I don't do families," the Time Lord informed with a grin.

"She slapped you!"

"900 years of time and space and I've never been slapped by someone's mother," The Doctor informed gravely.

"Your face," Rose laughed.

"It hurt!" The Doctor said indignantly.

"When you say 900 years," she ventured.

"That's my age," The Doctor told his human companion.

"You're 900 years old," Rose asked

"Yeah," The Doctor agreed

"My mum was right," Rose giggled, "That is one hell of an age gap. Every conversation with you just goes mental. There's no one else I can talk to. I've seen all that stuff up there, the size of it, and I can't say a word. Aliens and spaceships and things, and I'm the only person on planet Earth who knows they exist."

As if the aliens knew what Rose Tyler was talking about a spaceship chose that exact moment to crash land in the Thames, hitting the Big Ben first.

"Oh, that's just not fair," Rose Tyler groaned as she and The Doctor ran down to do what all the other humans were doing- watch the telly.

* * *

"I'm telling you, Doctor," Chris groaned once more, "if you would just let me into the Tardis I could show you that she's already created a room for me. And not just any room, a room that follows my timeline, so it's always there for the present me."

"And I'm telling you, I'm not letting you on the Tardis," The Doctor snapped, crossing his arms and turning from the human.

"She's a sentient ship, if she thinks I'm a danger she can just kick me out," Chris glared at the obstinate Time Lord, "I'm being courteous by asking, y'know. I could very easily have just walked on and you'd be none the wiser."

"Oh really?" The Doctor challenged, raising an eyebrow at the girl.

"Really," Chris said before raising her hand and snapping. She watched in delight as the Time Lord's face fell when the doors swung out to let the human in. "and besides, I've got a key."

Chris sauntered through the doors, taking a moment to greet her friend before going to find her room. She wanted to switch out the clothes in her bag and she wanted to take a moment to grab the screwdriver she had left on the bedside table the last time she'd been in there.

"Did it never occur to you why there was this one room, out of every room in the Tardis, just this one, that you couldn't enter." Chris crossed her arms as The Doctor entered to explore the room

"No," The Doctor defended, "it never did, why?"

"Because this is _my_ room and I'd appreciate it greatly if you didn't go rooting through _my_ belongings,"

The Doctor paused to glare at Chris, "Who said this was your room?"

"The Tardis did, Doc. The first time I met her." Chris explained, "probably about 300 years into your future. Now if you'd kindly exit so I could get my own clothes on that'd be great."

"But-" The Doctor started when Chris rolled her eyes and began to push him out of the room.

"But nothing," Chris said, "we can talk later. Besides, don't you have a world to be saving or a Telly to be watching or something."

"Fine," The Doctor grumbled, "but we will be talking."

"Aye aye, capitan," Chris saluted with a smirked before shutting the door in The Doctor's offended face.

* * *

"You're hurting her," Chris said, leaning against the wall as she watched The Doctor hit a hammer against the console. She'd decided to take a nap after changing into a pair of her own jeans and a black and white flannel. "If you just listened to the Tardis you'd understand that she knows how to do her job."

"What would you know?" The Doctor sneered, pausing between hits to glare at the human.

Chris rolled her eyes as she walked down the ramp and up to the console. She set her palm down next to the throttle and smiled as she felt a pleased hum run up her arm. Chris blinked before looking at The Doctor.

"I can hear her," Chris murmured gently, "I've no idea why and no idea how, but she talks to me, Doctor."

The Doctor just grunted and Chris shrugged her shoulders, knowing he wouldn't listen to her. She instead went and sat against the wall, watching The Doctor as he worked and humming to herself. Her hand fiddled with the buttons on her bag that she had sat in her lap. She was tempted to pull out her sonic and use it on the Tardis just to mess with The Doctor but she knew that with the slitheen being in London now was not the time.

Chris was debating telling The Doctor about the Slitheen when the Tardis suddenly jolted to a stop. Chris was on her feet and at the door in a moment, only waiting for The Doctor because she didn't want to be the one walking out first into a room full of armed men.

"Seriously, I hate guns," Chris said as she watched the room full of Red Berets aim their guns at The Doctor and her. She shook her head but didn't bother to raise her hands as she heard a scream from another room.

"Defence plan delta! Come on. Move! Move!" The Doctor ordered, leading the men out of the room with Chris on his heals. She quickly overtakes The Doctor, running into the room and straight to where she can see Toshiko, the doctor that was working on the 'alien' cowering in fear.

"Where did he go?" Chris demanded, intent on saving an innocent life.

Toshiko's hand trembled as she pointed in the direction of the pig and Chris took off at a sprint, ignoring the questioning look she'd received from The Doctor. She had a single minded focus on that poor creature.

"Don't shoot," The Doctor yelled, catching sight of the creature as he sprinted past Toshiko towards a door.

"Outta my way," Chris shouted, shoving men aside that weren't moving fast enough. She nearly knocked a grown man on his backside as she pushed past him. She dove through a doorway and back into the original room, knocking the pig to the ground just as a shot rang out.

"NO!" Shouted The Doctor.

Chris landed on top of the pig with a thud. She'd heard the shot ring out but when she assessed herself there was no blood. She quickly looked down at the creature trapped under her body, she was surprised that she was able to hold it down.

After quickly looking over the creature Chris let out a sigh of relief. She took a moment to calm her frantically beating heart before glaring up at the men who were still poised to shoot.

"He's just scared," Chris snapped, startling the men, "he was only scared and you tried to kill him."

"It's a pig," The Doctor said, dumbfounded.

"Yes, and you lot tried to kill him," Chris glared at the soldiers, "now put down your weapons and help me out. You too, Doc."

"Help you with what," The Doctor raised an eyebrow.

"He's coming with us." Chris grinned brightly, patting the pig on the forehead, pleased at the returned nudge from the creature.

The Doctor was already shaking his head, "no."

"Yes, he is," Chris said, knowing she had already won. All those times she'd thought there had been someone else on the Tardis aside from The Doctor and his companions she'd been right. "His name is Steve and I met him in the future."

Not technically true but The Doctor didn't need to know that.

"But-"

"If you don't bring him onto the Tardis, Doctor, you're going to cause a paradox." Chris reminded him gently, "you know you have to do it so we may as well get a move on."

"Steve?" The Doctor asked, "who names a pig Steve?"

* * *

"Alright, so I lied. I went and had a look," The Doctor said sheepishly as he exited the Tardis, Chris, and Steve on his heels. "But the whole crash landing's a fake. I thought so. Just too perfect. I mean, hitting Big Ben. Come on, so I thought let's go and have a look."

"My mum's here," Rose said, stopping The Doctor in his tracks.

"Oh, that's just what I need," The Doctor rolled his eyes, "Don't you dare make this place domestic."

"You ruined my life, Doctor," Mickey accused, "They thought she was dead. I was a murder suspect because of you."

"You see what I mean?" The Doctor asked Rose, "Domestic."

"I bet you don't even remember my name," Mickey accused.

"Ricky." The Doctor stated immediately.

"It's Mickey," Chris and Mickey said at the same time.

"No, it's Ricky," The Doctor corrected.

"Have we met before?" Mickey asked, facing Chris.

"Nope!" Chris said cheerfully, "I'm Chris, pleasure to meet you, Mickey Smith."

"Have you guys told her about me?" Mickey asked, looking between The Doctor and a distracted Rose.

"Nope," The Doctor grinned.

"I know things," Chris grinned, taking pleasure in teasing Mickey good naturedly.

"What kinds of things?" Mickey asked, drawing Chris into a more personal conversation.

"I know the future," Chris said with a smirk, "for instance I know for a fact that you, Mickey Smith, are going to help save the world."

"Doubt it," The Doctor grumbled, earning himself a glare from Chris.

"And I know for a fact that big ears over there is an asshole," Chris said with narrowed eyes. "Now if you'll excuse me, Doctor, I've got a meeting to attend."

Chris pushed The Doctor aside and started fiddling with the controls of the Tardis. She had no idea what she was doing but she hoped that the Tardis would figure it out for her. She was incredible like that.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" The Doctor snapped, stepping into Chris' way.

"Saving the world, something you're too busy making fun of someone to do!" Chris snapped right back. "Now, get out of my way or get to work."

"You're not the boss of me." The Doctor ground out.

"And you're not my boss either. Now that we've got that settled why don't you stop wasting time and start doing your job."

The Doctor glared at Chris who glared right back. She then huffed and walked away, shaking her head in disappointment as she sat on the captain's seat, ignoring a now bewildered Mickey.

"And what do you presume my job is?" The Doctor asked haughtily.

"You're a doctor," Chris snapped, "your job is to help people. Or at least that's what I thought it was."

* * *

Chris watched in silence as The Doctor worked under the console of The Tardis, trying to patch in the flight path. She had considered just telling him where it had come from but she had the feeling that he wouldn't believe her right now.

"So how'd you get caught up with this lot?" Mickey asked, leaning against the rail as he also watched The Doctor work.

"I literally pop up randomly in The Doctor's life," Chris informed the Londoner. "I've got no control over it. Honestly, my life has turned into some bad fanfiction."

"Huh," Mickey said, processing this information.

"I'm gonna go check on Steve," Chris said, standing up and walking out of the console room. She needed space and since she was concerned about her newest friend it was a good opportunity to escape.

Chris entered her bedroom, where she'd set Steve up on a pile of blankets on the floor, and was pleased to see that the pig was sleeping soundly. The Doctor hadn't had the chance to check Steve out yet but Chris knew that he was going to be okay.

With a smile Chris crossed the room to grab her bag before heading to the kitchen, knowing she would need some food in the coming hours. She packed her bag before heading out to the console to see The Doctor cheering at his own success.

"Got it! Ha, ha! Patched in the radar, looped it back twelve hours so we can follow the flight of that spaceship," he ran to the monitor on the console and fiddled with the knobs until the picture showed up, "Here we go. Hold on. Come on." The Doctor hit the monitor, trying to get it to focus, "That's the spaceship on its way to Earth, see? Except. Hold on. See? The spaceship did a sling shot round the Earth before it landed."

"What does that mean?" Rose asked.

"It means it came from Earth in the first place." Chris said, coming up beside Rose and throwing an arm around the woman's shoulders, "It went up and came back down. Whoever those aliens are, they haven't just arrived, they've been here for a while. The question is, what have they been doing?"

Chris removed her arm from around Rose and walked over to the captain's chair. While her earlier shower and nap had helped she still felt exhausted from recent events and wanted to get some rest.

"While you figure out the answer to that I'm going to take a nap," Chris muttered before setting her bag on the ground and getting comfortable. "Night."

* * *

Chris shook her head at Rose's wonder as she, The Doctor, and Rose were being escorted to 10 downing street in a police car. She was too focused on the situation at hand to be excited at their impending location. In fact, she was getting more upset as they approached downing street. Chris was not looking forward to meeting the Slitheen at all.

"This is a bit posh," Rose commented, "If I knew it was going to be like this, being arrested, I would have done it years ago."

"We're not being arrested, we're being escorted," The Doctor informed, glancing at Chris to see her staring pointedly out the window.

"Where to?" Rose asked

"Where'd you think?" The Doctor grinned, shaking off Chris' silence. "Downing Street."

"You're kidding," Rose said

"I'm not," The Doctor assured

"10 Downing Street?" Rose said disbelievingly

"That's the one."

"Oh, my God. I'm going to 10 Downing Street?" Rose squealed, "How come?"

"I hate to say it, but Mickey was right." The Doctor looked positively disgusted at having to agree with something that Mickey Smith had said, "Over the years I've visited this planet a lot of times, and I've been, er, noticed."

"Now they need you?" Rose questioned, seeing for the first time how much she truly did not know about The Doctor.

"Like it said on the news. They're gathering experts in alien knowledge." The Doctor reminded, "And who's the biggest expert of the lot?"

"Patrick Moore?" Rose teased.

"Apart from him," The Doctor grinned, playing along with her joke.

"Oh, don't you just love it," Rose elbowed The Doctor.

"I'm telling you. Lloyd George, he used to drink me under the table," The Doctor informed, "Who's the Prime Minister now?"

"How should I know?" Rose asked, "I missed a year."

Chris shook herself out of her mood as the car came to a stop and waited patiently for the door to open. She quickly exited and made her way into the building, ignoring the flashing lights and raised voices. She didn't need any of the attention.

She nearly fell to the ground when she bumped into an older woman who was mingling with the UNIT officers. Chris couldn't help but smile as the woman apologized and introduced herself

"So sorry there," Harriet said, "Harriet Jones, MP Flydale North."

"Chris Wesley," Chris said, "and there's no harm done at all, Ms. Jones."

The two look up as a man starts talking.

"Ladies and gentlemen, can we convene?" The man said as he handed out ID cards to the gathered people, "Quick as we can, please. It's this way on the right, and can I remind you ID cards are to be worn at all times."

"Here's your ID cards." he handed a card to both Chris and The Doctor, who looked over at Chris in surprise, "I'm sorry, your companion doesn't have clearance."

"I don't go anywhere without her," The Doctor argued, still looking in shock at Chris.

"You're the code nine, not her. I'm sorry, Doctor, Chris." The man said, "It is the Doctor, isn't it? And you're Chris, right? She'll have to stay outside."

"She's staying with me," The Doctor said, tearing his gaze from Chris, who was putting the ID around her neck in confusion.

"Look, even I don't have clearance to go in there," Ganesh said, "I can't let her in and that's a fact."

"It's all right," Rose said good naturedly, "You two go."

"YOu're that Chris Wesley?" Harriet asked Chris, who was still studying her ID card.

"Yeah," Chris said absentmindedly.

"Not now. We're busy." Ganesh scolded, "Can't you go home?"

"I just need a word in private," Harriet argued as Chris and The Doctor were led away by Ganesh.

* * *

"Apparently I'm an expert," Chris whispered to The Doctor as they waited for the meeting to start, "who'd have thought it."

"Not me," The Doctor whispered back.

"Rude," Chris chided, "do you still not believe that I'm the only Chris Wesley there is?"

"Hush," The Doctor muttered as general Asquith, a man that he'd spoken to briefly earlier stood up.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention, please," general Asquith said to the gathered experts, Chris and The Doctor among them, "As you can see from the summaries in front of you, the ship had one porcine occupant."

"Of course, the really interesting bit happened three days ago, see, filed away under Any Other Business." The Doctor interrupted, knowing he needed to take control of the situation, "The North Sea. A satellite detected a signal, a little blip of radiation, at one hundred fathoms, like there's something down there. You were just about to investigate and the next thing you know, this happens. Spaceships, pigs, massive diversion. From what?"

"If aliens fake an alien crash and an alien pilot, what do they get?" The Doctor said, coming to a realization, "Us. They get us. It's not a diversion, it's a trap."

 _ID card off, now._ Chris startled at the voice in her head, having not heard from Rain in a while. She quickly followed the command before looking to The Doctor, wondering if she should warn him.

"This is all about us. Alien experts." The Doctor continued, not seeing Chris take off her card, "The only people with knowledge of how to fight them gathered together in one room."

Chris nearly gagged as one of the disguised Slitheen let out some gas. She'd been disgusted seeing this all on T.V but actually experiencing it was a thousand times worse.

"Excuse me, do you mind not farting while I'm saving the world?" The Doctor snapped, having lost his train of thought.

"Would you rather silent but deadly?" The Slitheen replied haughtily.

 _Doctor, ID off, now._ Rain said to The Doctor, who glanced at Chris in confusion to see that she was no longer wearing her ID.

"Oh My God," Chris suddenly gasped, staring in shock as the slitheen unzipped themselves from their human disguises, she wanted to warn the people in the room about their ID tags but she was too shocked and disgusted to move.

"We are the Slitheen," The Slitheen who'd been Asquith introduced.

"Thank you all for wearing your ID cards," the other Slitheen said, holding up a remote, "They'll help to identify the bodies."

Chris watched in horror as the shocks immediately took effect. Even The Doctor was not exempt from the electrocution. Chris could feel the static in the air but she couldn't get her body to move. She felt tears come to her eyes as she watched The Doctor struggle to get the tag off as the rest of the experts present fell to the ground.

"Holy shit," Chris gasped out, falling to her knees and covering her ears as a panic attack came on. She'd never seen death like this. And the smell, the smell of burning flesh made Chris gag as she vaguely heard The Doctor confronting the Slitheen.

"Deadly to a human, maybe," The Doctor said as he removed the ID and tossed it at the Slitheen who were promptly electrocuted.

The Doctor hauled Chris to her feet and dragged her out of the room, knowing they didn't have time for Chris to lose control like she was doing. He paused only for a moment to adjust his grip as he forced Chris to follow him.

"Sorry," Chris was muttering, not paying attention to what was happening around her or where she was going, "I'm so sorry."


	20. World War Three

The Doctor wanted to stop to check on Chris but he knew that they didn't have the time for that. They needed to do something about the Slitheen before he could figure out what was wrong with Chris.

"Oi! If you want aliens, you've got them," The Doctor announced, entering a room full of armed police men, "They're inside Downing Street. Come on!"

The men followed The Doctor back to the briefing room only to find Green and Asquith standing in a room full of now deceased experts. The men turned towards General Asquith as he finished zipping up his suit.

"Where have you been?" Green snapped, "I called for help. I sounded the alarm. There was this lightning, this kind of, er, electricity, and they all collapsed."

"I think they're all dead," A man, Price, said as the policemen checked the bodies.

"That's what I'm saying." Green asserted before pointing an accusing finger at The Doctor, "They did it! That man and woman there.

"I think you will find the Prime Minister is an alien in disguise," The Doctor informed half heartedly, knowing it wasn't going to work. He glanced at Chris who seemed to be more aware of her surroundings now, only being half supported by The Doctor, "That's never going to work, is it?"

"No," a balding policeman said, advancing on The Doctor.

"Fair enough," The Doctor said before taking off at a sprint down into the corridor, dragging Chris behind him.

He skid to a stop mere feet into the hall as he found himself surrounded by two groups of armed men. The Doctor scanned for a way out before accidentally hitting the call button on the elevator.

"Under the jurisdiction of the Emergency Protocols, I authorise you to execute these two." Asquith ordered.

"Well, now, yes, you see, er, the thing is, if I was you, if I was going to execute someone by backing them against the wall, between you and me, little word of advice." The Doctor said, stalling the execution, "Don't stand them against the lift!"

The Doctor entered the lift, tugging Chris in after him and soniced it closed. He pressed a button and waited impatiently as the lift went up, not paying attention to the human beside him. He was more focused on finding his companion and ensuring her safety through this all. He opens the lift to see a slitheen trying to get at Rose and the old woman that she had been left with.

"Hello!" He called, distracting the Slitheen so that Rose and the woman could escape. He soniced the doors shut then and turned his attention to Chris.

"You alright?" The Doctor asked, seemingly shocking Chris out of a trance.

"What?" Chris asked, staring at The Doctor with wide gray eyes, "sorry, yeah. That was just quite the shock."

The Doctor eyed her skeptically as the young woman shook her head. She then looked up at The Doctor with a small smile.

"Thanks," She said, surprising him.

"For what?" He wondered.

"For not leaving me behind." Chris explained, "I know you don't like or trust me, I can feel it."

He looked at her in shock. Did she really think he'd let her die because of something like that? He almost felt indignant but she had already looked away from him and now was not the time.

The lift opened and The Doctor and Chris ran out, him no longer having to pull her. She went ahead, leading him to a staircase which she followed down the stairs, vaguely remembering that Rose and Harriet would be on the second floor.

"Fire extinguisher," Chris grins, grabbing one off the wall and tossing it to The Doctor, "they run off of oxygen so CO2 should slow 'em down."

"Smart thinking," The Doctor complimented, causing Chris to grin.

The two of them hide as the lift arrived just ahead of them. Chris watched in disgust as the two slitheen exited and walked towards the sitting room.

 _ **I'm not usually one to judge based off looks,**_ Chris told Rain, _**But honestly, this smell is worse than I imagined.**_

* * *

"My brothers," the Slitheen who used to Margaret greeted.

"Happy hunting?" Green asked.

"It's wonderful," Margaret hissed gleefully, "The more you prolong it, the more they stink."

"Sweat and fear," Asquith acknowledged.

"I can smell an old girl," Green taunted the two humans who were currently hiding behind the curtains, "Stale bird and brittle bones."

"And a ripe youngster, all hormones, and adrenalin," Margaret teased, "Fresh enough to bend before she snaps."

She pulled back the curtain and Rose screamed, trying to get away. Harriet revealed herself from behind her curtain, not wanting the younger woman to be injured.

"No! Take me first! Take me!" She pleaded when The Doctor and Chris entered the room, both now wielding fire extinguishers and spraying the slitheen.

"Out, with me!" He ordered, gesturing for the women to leave ahead of him and Chris, who were still spraying the Slitheen. Rose quickly pulled a curtain over the struggling Slitheen before following The Doctor's orders.

"Who the hell are you?" The Doctor asked Harriet who had paused next to him.

"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North," Harriet greeted.

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Harriet said before taking off as the two ran out of fuel.

"We need to head to the Cabinet Room," The Doctor ordered once the four of them were in the corridor.

"The Emergency Protocols are in there," Harriet informed, "They give instructions for aliens."

"Harriet Jones," The Doctor said with a smile, "I like you."

"And I like you too," she smiled back.

* * *

"One more move and my sonic device will triplicate the flammability of this alcohol," The Doctor bluffed the the Slitheen after grabbing a decanter, "Whoof, we all go up. So back off."

The four of them were in the cabinet room while the three Slitheen were in the outer office. Chris stood next to The Doctor while Rose and Harriet stood just behind them.

"Right then," he said, lowering the decanter once the Slitheen had backed up, "Question time. Who exactly are the Slitheen?"

"They're aliens," Harriet said.

"Yes," The Doctor agreed, looking over his shoulder at her, "I got that, thanks."

"Who are you, if not human?" Green questioned.

"Who's not human?" Harriet whispered to Rose.

"He's not human," Rose whispered back.

"He's not human?"

"Can I have a bit of hush?" The Doctor demanded.

"Sorry," Harriet apologized.

"So, what's the plan?" The Doctor demanded.

"But he's got a Northern accent," Harriet continued a moment later, not believing that he was an alien.

"Lots of planets have a north," Rose informed

"I said hush," The Doctor reprimanded. "Come on. You've got a spaceship hidden in the North Sea. It's transmitting a signal. You've murdered your way to the top of government. What for, invasion?"

"Why would we invade this God-forsaken rock?" Asquith wondered.

"Then something's brought the Slitheen race here," The Doctor continued, "What is it?"

"The Slitheen race?" Asquith scoffed.

"Slitheen is not their species," Chris said at the same time that Green said: "Slitheen is not out species."

"Slitheen is our surname," Green continued, giving Chris what she was sure was a confused look, "Jocrassa Fel Fotch Pasameer-Day-Slitheen at your service."

"So, you're family," The Doctor concluded.

"A family business," Green assured.

"Then you're out to make a profit," The Doctor realized, "How can you do that on a God-forsaken rock?"

"Ah, excuse me?" Asquith interrupted, "Your device will do what? Triplicate the flammability?"

"Is that what I said?" The Doctor tilted his head to the side, raising his sonic.

"You're making it up." Asquith accused.

"Ah, well! Nice try," The Doctor grinned, he then tried to pass the decanter to Harriet over his right shoulder, "Harriet, have a drink. I think you're gonna need it."

"You pass it to the left first," Harriet said, clutching the red Box tighter to her chester.

"Sorry," The Doctor said, handing the bottle to Chris who had moved to his other side. She gave the bottle to Rose.

"Thanks," Rose said, accepting the decanter but not doing anything with it. "Don't you think we should run?"

"Fascinating history, Downing Street," The Doctor said, gaining everyone's attention, "Two thousand years ago, this was marsh land. 1730, it was occupied by a Mister Chicken. He was a nice man. 1796, this was the Cabinet Room. If the Cabinet's in session and in danger, these are about the four most safest walls in the whole of Great Britain. End of lesson." He smiled at Chris who had lifted a panel by the door, he presses a button and grins as the door slid closed, "installed in 1991. Three inches of steel lining every single wall. They'll never get in."

"And how do we get out?" Rose asked.

"Ah," The Doctor said, having not thought that far ahead.

* * *

"He's safely contained," Green said from outside the cabinet room, "Now, cut off communications inside that room, then summon the family. It's time we finished with this insane planet for good."

* * *

Jackie and Mickey were currently inside Mickey's apartment. Jackie had had an encounter with the Slitheen, who had somehow realized she was connected, even if it was only vaguely, to The Doctor. She was still shaken up by it and in desperate need of a drink to calm her nerves.

"Got anything stronger?" Jackie asked, looking through Mickey's cupboards.

"No chance," Mickey said, stopping Jackie in her tracks, "I've seen you when you've had a few. This ain't time for a conga."

"We've got to tell someone," Jackie said weakly, not even knowing where they would start with a story like this.

"Who do we trust?" Mickey asked her, "For all we know, they've all got big bog monsters inside of them. I mean, this is what he does, Jacks, that Doctor bloke. Everywhere he goes, death and destruction, and he's got Rose in the middle of it."

"Has he got a great big green thing inside him, then?" Jackie asked the worry she felt for Rose constantly since she'd left with The Doctor spiking.

"I wouldn't put it past him," Mickey shrugged, "But like it or not, he's the only person who knows how to fight these things."

"I thought I was going to die," Jackie said before she suddenly starts crying. Mickey gives her an awkward hug.

"Come on, yeah?" Mickey said as reassuringly as he could, "If anyone's going to cry, it's going to be me. Now, you're safe in my flat, Jacks. No one's going To look for you here, especially since you hate me so much."

"You saved my life," Jackie said in awe, "God, that's embarrassing."

"You're telling me," Mickey agreed.

"He wanted me dead," Jackie realized, "And he's still out there, Mickey. That policeman. That thing."

* * *

Chris couldn't watch as The Doctor dragged Ganesh's body into the cupboard where the Prime Minister's body was currently stashed. She was still trying to get over all the deaths she had witnessed earlier. Though to be honest it was easier to do than she thought it would be, which was more disturbing than she'd like to admit.

"What was his name?" The Doctor asked, glancing at Harriet.

"Who?" She wondered.

"This one," The Doctor said, gesturing to Ganesh. "The secretary or whatever he was called."

"I don't know. I talked to him," Harriet said, suddenly horrified, "I brought him a cup of coffee. I never asked his name."

"Ganesh," Chris supplied from where she was sitting at the table, staring at the woodwork, "his name Patrick Ganesh."

"How d'ya know that?" Rose asked, almost glaring at Chris.

"Have I not told you before?" Chris asked, lifting her head to look at Rose, "about how I know things?"

"All you've said is that you jump around his timeline," Rose said, nodding to The Doctor, nothing really about knowing the future."

"Damn future me leaving it for me to explain," Chris grumbled, "basically I come from a different universe where this is a TV show."

"Seriously?" Rose asked, eyes wide and filled with an obvious disbelief.

"Sorry. Right, what have we got?" The Doctor said suddenly, drawing everyone's attention away from Chris, "Any terminals, anything?"

"No. This place is antique," Rose said, obviously catching on that they were moving to a different topic, "What I don't get is, when they killed the Prime Minister, why didn't they use him as a disguise?"

"He's too slim," The Doctor said, "They're big old beasts. They need to fit inside big humans."

"But the Slitheen are about eight feet," Rose said, "How do they fit inside?"

"That's the device around their necks," The Doctor informed, "Compression field. Literally shrinks them down a bit. That's why there's all that gas. It's a big exchange."

"Wish I had a compression field," Rose joked, trying to lighten the mood, "I could fit a size smaller."

"Excuse me, people are dead!" Harriet snapped, seemingly overwhelmed by the situation but not wanting to show it. Chris stood up and walked over to her, laying a hand on her arm, "This is not the time for making jokes"

"Sorry," Rose apologized guiltily, "You get used to this stuff when you're friends with him."

"Well, that's a strange friendship," Harriet observed, smiling at Chris gratefully.

"Harriet Jones," The Doctor said, "I've heard that name before. Harriet Jones. You're not famous for anything, are you?"

"Oh, hardly."

"Rings a bell," The Doctor continued, "Harriet Jones?"

"Lifelong backbencher I'm afraid," Harriet said sadly, "and a fat lot of use I'm being now. The Protocols are redundant. They list the people who could help and they're all dead downstairs."

"Hasn't it got, like, defense codes and things?" Rose wondered, "Couldn't we just launch a nuclear bomb at them?"

"You're a very violent young woman," Harriet admonished.

"I'm serious," Rose told her, "We could."

"Nuclear strikes need a release code," Chris informed as she took a seat at the end of the table, "and the UN has the release codes. Thank god, can you imagine if just any prime minister had access to those codes? We'd be onto world war ten by now."

"She's right," Harriet agreed, "which means there's nothing we can do."

"Say that again," The Doctor demanded, looking between Harriet and Chris.

"What, about the codes?" Harriet asked, glancing at Chris who merely shrugged.

"Anything," The Doctor urged, "All of it."

"Well, no country in the United Nations can gain access to atomic weapons without a Special Resolution from the UN," Chris said again with a casual shrug.

"Like that's ever stopped them," Rose hummed.

"Exactly, given our past record," Harriet concurred, "And I voted against that, thank you very much. The codes have been taken out of the government's hands and given to the UN. Is it important?"

"Everything's important," The Doctor informed.

"If we only knew what the Slitheen wanted," Harriet sighed, "Listen to me. I'm saying Slitheen as if it's normal."

"What do they want, though?" Rose asked, looking from Chris to The Doctor.

"Well, they're just one family, so it's not an invasion," The Doctor mused, glancing at Chris to see if she would help. Chris simply smiled at him encouragingly, "They don't want Slitheen World They're out to make money. That means they want to use something. Something here on Earth. Some kind of asset."

"Like what, gold?" Harriet suggested, "Oil? Water?"

"You're very good at this," The Doctor complimented, observing the woman again.

"Thank you," Harriet said, pleased.

"Harriet Jones," The Doctor muttered again, "Why do I know that name?"

"Oh, that's me," Rose said when a phone beeped.

"But we're sealed off," Harriet protested, "How did you get a signal?"

"He zapped it," Rose shrugged "Super phone."

"Then we can phone for help," Harriet said, turning to The Doctor, "You must have contacts."

"Dead downstairs, yeah."

"It's Mickey," Rose informed

"Oh, tell your stupid boyfriend we're busy," The Doctor whined.

Chris raised an eyebrow at The Doctor as she caught his eye. 'Rude' she mouthed to him, he merely shrugged, turning back to Rose, making her huff.

"Yeah, he's not so stupid after all," Rose said, showing the screen which had a picture of the Slitheen on it.

* * *

"No, no, no, no, no," Mickey said, willing Rose to understand, "Not just alien, but like, proper alien. All stinking, and wet, and disgusting. And more to the point, it wanted to kill us!"

"I could've died!" Jackie whined.

* * *

"Is she all right, though?" Rose wondered, "Don't put her on, just tell me."

The Doctor walked over to Rose and took the phone, earning himself a glare from the human for his lack of manners.

"Is that Ricky?" he said with a smirk, "Don't talk, just shut up and go to your computer."

* * *

"It's Mickey, and why should I?" Mickey protested, rolling his eyes at the audacity of the alien he was talking to.

* * *

"Mickey the Idiot, I might just choke before I finish this sentence, but, er, I need you." The Doctor said with a truly disgusted look on his face.

"Oi," Chris called, getting his attention, "if you're gonna be that way I can talk to him," She offered only to receive a glare from The Doctor, "or not. But you could always be a little nicer. He's not that bad."

* * *

"It says password," Mickey informed, having hacked the Unit website, per The Doctor's instructions.

* * *

"Say again," The Doctor asked him to repeat after glaring at Chris again.

* * *

"It's asking for the password," Mickey repeated, shifting the phone in his grip.

* * *

"Buffalo. Two Fs, one L," The Doctor said, hearing Chris mutter the password under her breath. He shot her a surprised look but the young woman was staring at the table again.

* * *

"So, what's that website?" Jackie asked from over Mickey's shoulder.

"All the secret information known to mankind," Mickey informed her, proud that he'd managed to hack into it. "See, they've known about aliens for years. They just kept us in the dark."

* * *

"Mickey, you were born in the dark," The Doctor quipped, pleased with himself for the jab.

"Oh, leave him alone," Rose protested, glaring at The Doctor.

* * *

"Thank you," Mickey said appreciatively, "Password again."

* * *

"Just repeat it every time," The Doctor ordered before turning the phone to speaker and setting it down, "Big Ben - why did the Slitheen go and hit Big Ben?"

"You said to gather the experts, to kill them," Harriet reminded.

"That lot would've gathered for a weather balloon," The Doctor told her, "You don't need to crash land in the middle of London."

"The Slitheen are hiding," Rose mused, "but then they put the entire planet on Red alert. What would they do that for?"

* * *

"Oh, listen to her," Jackie said, having mixed feelings about her baby girl trying to save the world.

* * *

"At least I'm trying," Rose snapped.

* * *

"Well, I've got a question, if you don't mind," Jackie said, "Since that man walked into our lives, I have been attacked in the streets. I have had creatures from the pits of hell in my own living room, and my daughter disappears off the face of the Earth."

* * *

"I told you what happened," Rose protested.

* * *

"I'm talking to him," Jackie interrupted, "'Cos I've seen this life of yours, Doctor. And maybe you get off on it, and maybe you think it's all clever and smart, but you tell me. Just answer me this. Is my daughter safe?"

* * *

"I'm fine," Rose assured, not wanting her mother to embarrass her.

* * *

"Is she safe?" Jackie demanded, ignoring Rose, "Will she always be safe? Can you promise me that?" There was silence on the other end, "Well, what's the answer?"

* * *

"Jackie Tyler," Chris said suddenly from her spot at the table, "I've been thinking about the answer to that question since the day I met Rose. Of course that was in the future. But let me tell you one thing, you're asking The Doctor to make an impossible promise here. No one can promise absolute safety. Not even you."

She glanced at Rose with a small smile. "Now Rose here is amazing, absolutely beautiful, brave. Just completely fantastic. And you would be doing her, and the world, no favors by trying to keep her here. Sometimes the very most dangerous path is the one that we have to take.

"Now, I'm not going to promise you that she's always going to be safe. Despite my vast knowledge of everything that might happen to her in the future I cannot one hundred percent know. What if she get's a paper cut I knew nothing about? Anyways. While she might not always be safe, I can promise you this, Jackie Tyler. Rose Tyler will always be protected."

* * *

"We're in," Mickey said, not giving anyone the chance to reply.

* * *

"Now then, on the left at the top, there's a tab, an icon." The Doctor said, getting back to business after shooting Chris a thankful look, "Little concentric circles. Click on that."

"What is it?" Mickey wondered, watching the screen change.

* * *

"The Slitheen have got a spaceship in the North Sea and it's transmitting that signal." The Doctor told him, "Now hush, let me work out what it's saying."

"It's some sort of message," The Doctor informed.

"What's it say?" Rose wondered, having just gotten over the shock of hearing what Chris had said.

"Don't know," The Doctor shrugged, "It's on a loop, keeps repeating." The doorbell rang on the other side, interrupting his thought process, "Hush!"

* * *

"That's not me," Mickey protested before turning to Jackie, "Go and see who that is."

"It's three o'clock in the morning," Jackie protested, wrapping her robe tighter around herself

"Well, go and tell them that," Mickey snapped. Jackie walked away in a huff.

* * *

"It's beaming out into space, who's it for?" The Doctor wondered.

There was a commotion on the other side of the line that had Chris on her feet. She grabbed the phone from the table and started talking.

"Mickey, you need to go to the kitchen and grab anything with vinegar," Chris ordered, "anything at all. I know you've got some pickled onions in there. Gross as that is, and dangerous to me, grab those and anything else you can find. When the Slitheen gets in there throw it at him and then duck."

"Why vinegar?" Harriet asked.

"Raxacoricofallapatorius," Chris said simply, nodding at The Doctor, only feeling slightly guilty for stealing his glory.

"Raxi what?" Rose said, completely confused.

"Raxacoricofallapatorius," The Doctor repeated, "of course! Chris, you're a genius."

"No," Chris denied shaking her head, "I've just got a decent memory. Now Mickey, vinegar, do you have it?"

"Just like Hannibal," Harriet said, understanding somewhat what was going on.

"Just like Hannibal," Chris agreed with a smile as they got confirmation from Mickey, she turned to Rose "I don't know how you could kiss that man."

"Hannibal?" Rose asked Harriet instead of acknowledging Chris' comment.

"Hannibal crossed the Alps by dissolving boulders with vinegar," Harriet told her.

"Oh," Rose said with a nod, "Well, there you go then."

Chris watched as the other three took a drink of the port from the decanter. She smiled when The Doctor spit it out before turning her attention back to the phone.

"Mickey," Chris said, gaining everyone's attention, "are you watching the news?"

"Yeah," Mickey replied, his voice sounding distorted by the speaker.

"What are they saying now?" She asked, "our fake government?"

"They're saying something about a threat in the sky, some sort of missile," Mickey said, sounding slightly panicked.

"they're making it up," The Doctor said, "There's no weapons up there, there's no threat. They just invented it."

"Do you think they'll believe him?" Harriet asked.

"They did last time," Rose said.

"That's why the Slitheen went for spectacle," The Doctor said, finally understanding, "They want the whole world panicking, because you lot, you get scared, you lash out."

"They release the defense code," Rose said, also understanding.

"And the Slitheen go nuclear," The Doctor finished.

"But why?" Harriet wondered.

"You get the codes, release the missiles, but not into space because there's nothing there," The Doctor said after opening the metal shutters to reveal the Slitheen on the other side. "You attack every other country on Earth. They retaliate, fight back. World War Three. Whole planet gets nuked."

"And we can sit through it safe in our spaceship waiting in the Thames," Margaret informed, "Not crashed, just parked. Only two minutes away."

"But you'll destroy the planet, this beautiful place," Harriet protested, "What for?"

"Profit," Chris and The Doctor said at the same time, The Doctor continuing: "That's what the signal is beaming into space. An advert."

"The sale of the century," Margaret agreed, "We reduce the Earth to molten slag, then sell it piece by piece. Radioactive chucks, capable of powering every cut-price star liner and budget cargo ship. There's a recession out there, Doctor. People are buying cheap. This rock becomes raw fuel."

"At the cost of five billion lives," The Doctor protested.

"Bargain."

"I give you a choice." The Doctor offered stoically, "Leave this planet or I'll stop you."

"What, you?" Margaret laughed, "Trapped in your box?"

"Yes." The Doctor agreed, "Me."

He closed the shutter on the Slitheen and turned back to the room, his eyes locking on Chris who was already looking at him. She tilted her head to the side as if trying to read him.

 _Do you really want me to give it away?_

The voice in his head made him jump. He wasn't used to telepathic communication. Certainly not anything from a human. He considered for a moment before shaking his head. It's not that he didn't believe she knew things about the future, he'd seen proof enough of that. It was more that he wasn't sure what she could or would do with her knowledge of the future.

He almost wanted to lock her in the Tardis and keep her from interacting with anyone ever again.

But he wasn't going to do that. For one it was cruel and unusual punishment. For another he had the distinct feeling that the Tardis would protest to it. She had give Chris a room before he'd even asked her. It had taken him almost three days to get a room for Rose to use.

"All right, Doctor," Jackie's voice sounded on the phone, making everyone in the cabinet room jump, "I'm not saying I trust you, but there must be something you can do."

"If we could ferment the port, we could make acetic acid," Harriet said, observing the amber liquid.

"Mickey, any luck?" Rose asked.

"There's loads of emergency numbers," Mickey informed, "They're all on voicemail."

"Voicemail dooms us all," Harriet groaned.

"If we could just get out of here," Rose said with a sigh.

"There's a way out," The Doctor said finally looking away from Chris, who nodded in approval.

"What?" Rose said, eyes widening in shock.

"There's always been a way out," The Doctor reiterated seriously.

"Then why don't we use it?" Rose questioned.

The Doctor turned his attention to the phone, his tone very serious as he addressed Jackie, "Because I can't guarantee your daughter will be safe."

* * *

"Don't you dare," Jackie warned, her grip on Mickey's seat tightening, "Whatever it is, don't you dare."

* * *

"That's the thing," The Doctor said, "If I don't dare, everyone dies."

"Do it," Rose commanded, confidently.

"You don't even know what it is," The Doctor protested, "You'd just let me?"

"Yeah," Rose agreed.

* * *

"Please," Jackie pleaded, "Doctor. Please. She's my daughter. She's just a kid."

* * *

"Do you think I don't know that?" The Doctor said, "Because this is my life, Jackie. It's not fun, it's not smart, it's just standing up and making a decision because nobody else will."

"Then what're you waiting for?" Rose demanded.

"I could save the world but lose you," The Doctor protested.

"Except it's not your decision, Doctor," Harriet interrupted, "It's mine."

* * *

"And who the hell are you?" Jackie demanded, staring incredulously at the phone.

* * *

"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North," Harriet introduced, "The only elected representative in this room, chosen by the people for the people. And on behalf of the people, I command you. Do it."

The Doctor looked at Chris who had been silent throughout the exchange. She smiled at him.

"Jackie, remember what I said earlier," Chris said addressing Jackie but maintaining eye contact with The Doctor, "your daughter is protected."

"How do we get out?" Rose questioned then, drawing The Doctor's attention to her.

"We don't," The Doctor said confidently, striding to the Red Box that was sitting on the table and grabbing the Emergency Protocols, "We stay here."

"Mickey, use the Buffalo password, It overrides everything." Chris said, beating The Doctor to it, who raised an eyebrow at her, "told ya, I've got a good memory."

* * *

"What're you doing?" Jackie demanded, placated for now by Chris' promise.

"Hacking into the Royal Navy." Mickey told her before addressing The Doctor, "We're in. Here it is. HMS Taurean, Trafalgar Class submarine, ten miles off the coast of Plymouth."

* * *

"Right, we need to select a missile," The Doctor said.

* * *

"We can't go nuclear," Mickey reminded, "We don't have the defense codes."

* * *

"We don't need it," The Doctor said, "All we need's an ordinary missile. What's the first category?"

"Sub Harpoon," Mickey informed, "UGM-A4A."

"That's the one," The Doctor said, "Select."

* * *

"I could stop you," Jackie threatened Mickey, who turned to look at her.

"Do it, then," Mickey challenged. Jackie shook her head, instead going to sit on the couch.

"You ready for this?" The Doctor said over the phone.

"Yeah," Mickey agreed, sounding more confident than he felt.

* * *

"Mickey the idiot," The Doctor said almost affectionately. "the world is in your hands. Fire."

"How solid are these?" Harriet asked, gesturing to the walls around them.

"Not solid enough," The Doctor informed, "Built for short range attack, nothing this big."

"All right, now I'm making the decision," Rose said strongly, "I'm not going to die. We're going to ride this one out. It's like what they say about earthquakes. You can survive them by standing under a door frame." She walked over to the cupboard that they had put Ganesh and the PM in earlier, "Now, this cupboard's small so it's strong. Come and help me. Come on."

Chris and Harriet move to help Rose clear the cupboard. Chris very nearly throws up at the sight of the lifeless bodies, but after a deep breath she powers through, knowing this was the only chance that they had of survival.

"It's on radar," Mickey's voice came over the speaker. "Counter defence five five six."

"Stop them intercepting it," The Doctor ordered.

"I'm doing it now," Mickey told him.

"Good boy," the Doctor grinned.

"Five five six neutralised," Mickey said as The Doctor turned the phone off speaker.

The four of them climb into the now cleared out cupboard. It was cramped but they felt marginally safer inside.

"Here we go. Nice knowing you three," Harriet said before calling out, "Hannibal!"

The cupboard started to shake and everyone covered their eyes as a bright white light enveloped Chris and suddenly she was gone.

* * *

"Made in Britain," Harriet commented, patting the sturdy material proudly, "where's Chris though?"

"She does that, apparently," The Doctor commented as Price came up to them.

"Oh, my God," Price said, addressing Harriet,"Are you alright?"

"Harriet Jones. MP, Flydale North," Harriet introduced, "I want you to contact UN immediately. Tell the ambassadors the crisis is over. They can step down. Go on, tell the news."

"Yes, ma'am," Price said immediately standing taller.

"Someone's got a hell of a job sorting this lot out." Harriet said, turning back to The Doctor and Rose, "Oh, Lord. We haven't even got a Prime Minister."

"Maybe you should have a go," The Doctor said with a shrug.

"Me? Huh," Harriet said."I'm only a backbencher."

"'d vote for you," Rose said with her signature grin.

"Now, don't be silly," Harriet said before turning to gesture to the mess around them, "Look, I'd better go and see if I can help. Hang on! We're safe! The Earth is safe!" She addressed one of the men that was searching the rubble, "Sergeant!"

"I thought I knew the name," The Doctor said as they watched Harriet, "Harriet Jones, future Prime Minister. Elected for three successive terms. The architect of Britain's Golden Age."

"The crisis has passed!" Harriet called, "Ladies and gentlemen, I have something to say to you all here today! Mankind stands tall, proud and undefeated. God bless the human race."

* * *

 **A/n: Hey Y'all! Thank you for all the reviews, favorites and follows! You guys keep me motivated. I'm glad everyone is enjoying this story nearly as much as I enjoy writing it! Up next we've got TWELVE!**

 **-Ryn**


	21. The Caretaker: Part One

For the past week, Chris had been popping in with twelve and Clara. The two were on constant adventures and it seemed to be up to Chris to get them out in the knick of time. If she was being honest, though, she was exhausted. She'd not gotten a real break in what felt like ages. All she wanted to do was sleep.

* * *

"There's no way out of this," Clara lamented, referring to the fact that she and The Doctor were currently chained to an outcropping of rocks, "We're going to die here."

"Pass me the Vibro-cutters," The Doctor said, not even looking at her

"They're in my pocket," Clara told him

"Come on then, pass them to me," The Doctor said impatiently

"In my other jacket," Clara rolled her eyes, "At home."

"Why have you got two jackets?" The Doctor wondered, finally looking at her, "Is one of them faulty?"

"Look, I don't have the Vibro-cutters," Clara said, "If I had the Vibro-cutters, I wouldn't be able to pass you the Vibro-cutters. We're going to starve to death out here."

"Of course we won't starve," The Doctor told her, "The sand piranhas will get us long before that."

There was a flash of bright light and The Doctor smiled as he watched Chris appear before him.

"-Vibro-cutters…" Chris trailed off as she looked at the two of them, "oh for godsakes. Why the hell do I even bother anymore? Of course, that's why there're Vibro-cutters in my pocket."

She pulled out the Vibro-cutters and tossed them to The Doctor before sitting down and leaning against the rock, closing her eyes. She ignored the two as she relaxed. This was the third time she'd saved them today.

* * *

"No," Chris snapped as she appeared in another flash of light as The Doctor and Clara ran from what seemed to be fish people, "you two are getting yourselves out of this one, I'm done."

She caught the almost hurt look from twelve but couldn't bring herself to care. She needed a break. She needed to sleep, she needed to eat, and more importantly, she needed a shower. She was covered in sand, seaweed, mud, feces, and an unidentifiable goo.

"Come along," Twelve said, grabbing Chris' hand and tugging her along. Chris sighed and started to run with them, not before kicking one of the fish people away from them and getting covered in even more seaweed.

* * *

"How much further?" Clara yelled at The Doctor as they ran down the hall, avoiding the lasers that were being shot at them.

"Tardis has got to be round this corner," The Doctor said, "I hate soldiers. Don't you hate soldiers?"

"Yeah," Clara agreed wholeheartedly.

"Just keep running!" The Doctor said when there was a flash of light ahead of him.

"I can't do this anymore," Chris said before stumbling forward, collapsing.

The Doctor ducked to catch her, narrowly avoiding a laser that may have otherwise hit him.

* * *

Chris opened her eyes to see that she was in the med bay of the Tardis. She could feel an IV in her arm and was sorely tempted to tear it out like they did in the movies but she knew it was there for a reason, despite how uncomfortable it was.

"How long had it been since you slept?" A Scottish voice asked from her bedside and she turned to see The Doctor in his twelfth incarnation.

"This is my first time meeting this you," She noted, ignoring his question. She felt fine now so it didn't really matter when she had slept last.

"Chris," he admonished, "you were severely dehydrated, nearly malnourished, and incredibly sleep deprived."

"So it's obviously been awhile since I'd slept," She told him, sitting up slowly, "but I'm fine now so can you please take this damned thing out."

"Language," The Doctor reprimanded but he took out the IV so Chris chose to ignore him.

She winced as he pulled out the needle and then covered it with a bandaid. She wanted to get off the bed but she had the feeling that he'd reprimand her for it, and she wasn't in the mood.

Honestly, she was still tired and wouldn't have minded another few hours of sleep but she had too much energy to do so right now.

Chris studied The Doctor, who was fiddling with some equipment nearby and seemed like he was full of a nervous energy.

"What's up?" She asked when he didn't calm down.

"How long?" He asked, turning around and watching her intently.

"I told you it didn-" She started before he interrupted her.

"No," He said, "how long have you been traveling with me?"

Chris tilted her head to the side, trying to figure out the answer.

"I don't know, a month maybe?" She said, "Maybe two?"

"Ah," The Doctor said, "so you're young."

"And you're old," Chris returned, closing her eyes and sinking into the bed, she opened one eye when The Doctor didn't respond, "sorry, thought we were stating the obvious."

The Doctor simply shook his head before going to sit back in the chair next to her bed.

"Have I gone over the rules of time travel with you?" The Doctor asked and held up a hand, much to her dissatisfaction, when she tried to talk, "rather, have I gone over your rules of time travel?"

"My rules of time travel?" Chris said, tilting her head to the time.

"Yes," The Doctor nodded, "you told me these rules sometime during my eleventh regeneration."

"Okay," Chris said slowly, "what are my rules of time travel?"

"Your first one is ridiculous: always wear socks," The Doctor said, mimicking Chris' voice.

"That's actually… reasonable," Chris said after a moment, "my feet get cold easily. What's next?"

"Always listen to The Doctor," He said, though she knew he was keeping part of that to himself.

"Always listen to The Doctor?" She repeated, leaving it open and giving him a chance to elaborate.

"Always listen to The Doctor unless he's being and idiot, then don't listen to The Doctor," he finished reluctantly.

"That's what I thought," Chris said with a grin, "do I have more rules?"

The Doctor nodded, "Your final rule of time travel is to use downtime to your advantage, especially when you're younger and have a tendency to run yourself into the ground."

"You're telling me I need to take a break, aren't you?" Chris said with a raised brow.

"Yes, I am," The Doctor said before helping Chris stand up, he led her out of the med bay with a palm to her back, "off to the library with you."

"Why the library?" Chris wondered even though she didn't protest.

"Because I've known you for over two thousand years, Chris," The Doctor said, "I know that when you're not gonna sleep you like to spend your time in the library."

Chris nodded, understanding his logic and agreeing with it, "I do have to admit that it's a little disconcerting that you know me so well."

"Tell me about it," The Doctor said, raising one of his bushy eyebrows at her.

* * *

"So, where we off to?" Clara wondered upon entering the Tardis that was parked in her livingroom.

"Clara, you, you look lovely today," The Doctor said in surprise, having not expected her, despite where he was parked, "Have you had a wash?"

"Why are you being nice?" Clara wondered, "did you have alone time with Chris?"

"Because it works on you," The Doctor said, frowning at her remark as he tried to keep the scanner out of her view, "And no I haven't had _alone time_ with Chris. Listen, I'm sorry but there's going to be no trip today. I'm sorry. Er, I've got to do a thing. It might take a while."

"What thing?" Clara wondered stalking around the console in order to see what he was looking at.

"Just a thing," The Doctor said simply.

"You're being mysterious, and do you know what means?" Clara said, raising a brow at his attempts to keep her in the dark.

"I'm a man of mystery," The Doctor commented, passing his hand over his face to prove his point.

"Hmm. It means that you are a very clever man making the mistake, common to very clever people, of assuming that everybody else is stupid," Clara finished jumping to grab the scanner from The Doctor who had just switched to a view of the galaxy, "Where are you going?"

"Undercover," The Doctor said, "Deep cover."

"Can you do deep cover?" Clara wondered with a laugh.

"What do you mean?" The Doctor asked offended.

"Have you seen you?" Clara asked, gesturing to him.

"Of course I can do deep cover," The Doctor assured haughtily

"Where, the Magic Circle?" Clara wondered with a giggle.

"I'll see you when I see you," The Doctor said, snapping to open the Tardis doors.

Clara snapped and the doors closed as she demanded: "When's that?"

"When I see you," The Doctor said, snapping again.

"Hmm. Hmm," Clara hummed suspiciously, as she made her way to the doors, deciding to give The Doctor a chance, "I'll be sure to have a wash."

"Excellent," The Doctor said faux cheerfully, "I was meaning to bring it up."

Clara slowly left the Tardis only to open it again, startling The Doctor. She gestured that she was watching him before closing the doors again.

The Doctor flipped a switch on the console and the scanner brought up what he'd been looking at before Clara barged in, East London.

"She's gonna be pissed, y'know," Chris said from where she'd been leaning against the entryway to the console, watching their exchange, "you could've at least warned her."

The Doctor glanced briefly at Chris before moving around the console, pushing buttons and pulling levers. He didn't comment.

"I know you don't want her to get involved but this is her school, Doctor," Chris said, "Don't you think she deserves to know?"

"Then why don't you tell her?" The Doctor snapped, "you're the one who knows what's going to happen."

Chris raised a brow, hiding her hurt behind an otherwise blank mask, "I'd have thought that by now you would understand why I can't" She said coldly before turning around and making her way to her room.

"Chris-" The Doctor called after her but Chris ignored him.

 _ **Will he ever get easier to deal with?**_ Chris asked Rain as she fell onto the bed and covered her eyes to hide the forming tears.

 _You know him better than I do,_ Rain reminded with what felt like a smirk.

 _ **Do I really though?**_ Chris asked _**You have more of a connection to him than I ever will.**_

 _You can't know that,_ Rain said secretively.

 _ **You're a time lady, that's already more of a connection than I could ever hope to have, not to mention you're the one who can communicate telepathically with him, not me.**_

 _Well, that is true, but Chris, he doesn't even know I exist,_ Rain said, _Well, to my knowledge he doesn't know. This him might._

 _ **Is that supposed to make me feel better?**_ Chris asked dejectedly.

 _I don't know, you tell me,_ Rain said.

There was a knock on the door and Chris was tempted to ignore it but the door was already swinging open to reveal an almost startled Doctor. Chris took a moment to curse the Tardis who merely chuckled at her.

"What?" Chris snapped, not looking at the time lord, wiping at her eyes to hide the evidence of her tears.

"I'm sorry, Chris," The Doctor said, looking very uncomfortable, "what I said was uncalled for. And I do understand."

"You could've fooled me," Chris snapped, sitting up to glare at him, "I've been here what, three hours and you're trying to guilt me for something I literally cannot control? I would have expected this from your ninth self, not this you."

The Doctor looked away from Chris with a frown. "I'm sorry Chris," The Doctor said, walking up to take Chris' hand but she pulled away.

"Don't touch me," Chris snapped, moving further away from The Doctor, "just give me some space, Doctor, we can talk later."

The Doctor regarded her for a moment before nodding and leaving. Chris sighed and buried her face in her hands.

"Can I just stay in here for the rest of my life?" She asked no one in particular before getting up and getting new clothes to wear for after her shower.

* * *

Chris glared at The Doctor, who was already wearing his caretaker jumpsuit since he'd started working the night before, one final time before going into Armitage's office. She was still upset with the time lord but she wasn't going to let that keep her out of an adventure. It was early in the morning and she had wanted to sleep in when the time lord had woken her up telling her to get into her 'best teaching humans' outfit.

"Good morning Ms. Wesley," Armitage greeted, "I'm glad you could make it this morning. Mrs. Smith, our drama teacher, is out on maternity leave and she recommended you as a replacement."

"She did?" Chris asked furrowing her eyebrows in confusion, "interesting."

Armitage nodded, "Trisha can go over the necessary paperwork with you. Mrs. Smith left detailed sub plans so there's no need to worry there."

Chris pulled out a file of papers from her bag and handed it to Armitage, "That won't be necessary. Everything's here and I've also talked with the school board last night."

"Oh," Armitage said, "Mrs. Smith did say that you were organized."

"When I see her next I'll tell her thanks," Chris said, not wanting Armitage to see how unsettled she was.

"Now, there is a staff meeting after class gets out today but you won't need to come in until the end," Armitage continued, "we're just covering who's taking over for whom in the coming couple days."

"Will I not be covering for anyone then?" Chris asked, grateful that she didn't have to be there, she was not a fan of meetings.

Armitage shook his head, "since you're filling in for Mrs. Smith as it is you won't have to cover for anyone else."

"Ah," Chris nodded, "makes sense."

"Well, that's all I've got for you," Armitage said, standing, "enjoy your class, Ms. Wesley."

"Thank you, Mr. Armitage," Chris said, rising as well to shake his hand.

* * *

"Which means, Jo, you'll have to cover for 8/4M in L3," Chris could hear Armitage say from her spot just outside the room, across from The Doctor, "Hold on, there is just one more thing. Atif's off sick and Christi is on maternity leave, so we've got a couple newbies, I did ask them to come along."

At that, The Doctor opened the door and spun around so he was facing the room. She had tried to get him to at least leave the broom but he had refused. Chris rolled her eyes before plastering a grin on her face and following him into the room.

"Ah, here they are," Armitage said, leaving the introductions to then.

"I'm the new caretaker. John Smith," The Doctor greeted grimly.

"Welcome to Coal Hill, Mister Smith," Danny Pink greeted, shaking hands with the time lord.

"Thanks. Yes, John Smith's the name. But, you know, here's a thing. Most people just call me-" The Doctor started only to be interrupted by Chris.

"A dork," She said with a grin, before turning to face the group, "sorry, he's my very cross uncle. Don't mind him too much, he can be quite rude, I think it's the eyebrows. I'm Chris Wesley, filling in for Mrs. Smith while she's away."

"Anyways, if anybody needs me, just, you know, give me a shout," The Doctor continued after glaring at Chris, "I'll be in the storeroom just getting the lie of the land."

"I've got to be off as well," Chris said with a smile as The Doctor left, "I've got sub plans to read and drama to catch up on." She paused, "get it, cause I'm teaching drama."

When no one reacted Chris simply nodded, Clara tried to mouth something to her but Chris shrugged helplessly before leaving not wanting to get caught by Clara who looked quite peeved. And rightly so, though Chris was to blame as much as The Doctor, she just didn't think it was her place to tell Clara what was going on.

"Yes, nobody's taking any notice at all," The Doctor said once Chris caught up, "Absolutely good news because it means I must be coming across just as an absolutely boring human being like you. Deep cover. Deep cover."

Chris simply hummed, not wanting to start anything over his comment of 'boring human'. She was already part of one argument with him, she had no need of starting another, even if he was a bit rude.

"Uncle," The Doctor said suddenly facing Chris, "really?"

"Would you rather be my father?" Chris asked with a raised brow.

The Doctor thought about it for a moment, "ah, Uncle is good. Did you have to make the comment about the eyebrows?"

"They are rather cross looking. Though that might just be you," Chris teased, "Where to next?"

"You're going to go look over your sub plans while I look at the building plans," The Doctor said.

"Alright," Chris shrugged, "if that's what you want."

The Doctor glanced at Chris shocked as she started to walk away. He knew that she was pissed but it had been centuries since she hadn't argued back or even simply ignored him when he was like this. He needed to make it up to her before things got worse but now was not the time.

* * *

"So, you recognized me, then," The Doctor said when Clara entered the room. He was looking at the floor plans like he'd told Chris he'd be doing, but he was not happy at all.

It seemed that no one was happy right now and he had the feeling that it was all his fault.

"You're wearing a different coat," Clara noted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"But you saw straight through that," The Doctor said, not looking at her.

"Deep cover in my school? Why?" Clara asked, she moved closer but The Doctor blocked her approach with a broom "Where's Atif, what have you done with him? And Christi?"

"He's fine. Hypnotised," The Doctor said, following her movements with the broom, "He thinks he's got the 'flu. Also a flying car and three wives. It's going to be a rude awakening. And Christi is on maternity leave."

"Is it aliens?" Clara said, coming to a realization, "Oh, my God, is that why you're here? Are there aliens?"

"It's assembly," The Doctor said when the bell rang, thankful for the interruption, "You'd better get going. Go and worship something."

"Are there aliens in this school?" Clara demanded, hiding her fear behind anger.

"Listen, it's lovely talking to you, but I've really got to get on," The Doctor urged, "I'm a caretaker now. Look, I've got a brush."

"Doctor, is there an alien in this school?" Clara asked again.

"Yes, me. Now, go," The Doctor told her, trying to herd her out of the room, "The walls need sponging and there's a sinister puddle."

"You can't do this," Clara said, evading his attempted, "You cannot pass yourself off as a real person among actual people."

"I lived among otters once for a month," The Doctor told her, "Well, I sulked. Chris and I, we had this big fight, she spent that month with River."

"Human beings are not otters!" Clara snapped

"Exactly," The Doctor agreed, "It'll be even easier."

"Okay. One question," Clara conceded, "And you will answer this question. Are the kids safe?"

The Doctor shook his head: "No. Nobody is safe. But soon the answer will be yes, everybody is safe, if you let me get on. Now, pretend you don't know me. Stay out of my way. The less you know, the better. I'll explain it all later. Go and sing with the otters."

"I hate you," Clara hissed, glaring at him.

"That's fine," The Doctor said, sensing she was lying but saying nothing about it, "That's a perfectly normal reaction."

* * *

"Why are you guys here," Clara demanded, not even giving Chris the chance to finish her bite of salad.

"Hello to you too, Clara," Chris said, swallowing her salad then standing to dump the rest of it in the trash. She wasn't sure why she'd gotten salad anyways, she only ever ate half of it.

Clara followed her as she walked around the drama room, organizing things and trying to figure out what to say without pissing the brunette off even further.

"I can't tell you," Chris said, not looking at Clara.

"Can't or won't?" Clara asked with narrowed eyes.

"Won't," Chris said, finally looking at the other woman with narrowed eyes. She could already see where this was heading and she was definitely not a fan.

"If you're not going to be useful why don't you stay in that Tardis?" Clara snapped. Her eyes widened in shock when she realized what she'd said but the impact had already been made.

Chris closed her eyes for a moment to prevent a reaction. She didn't want to react to comments like this, even if it hurt.

"Alright," Chris said calmly before opening her eyes. She walked slowly towards the door and threw out one last comment over her shoulder, "nice to officially meet you, by the way."

* * *

"You're an ass," Chris greeted when she entered the caretaker's rickety old shed, he looked up at her expectantly, she usually had a reason when she called him names, "Clara came to talk to me once she was done with you and now she refuses to even look at me."

"Why is that?" The Doctor said, showing what appeared to be actual concern for the first time since they'd arrived in London.

Chris shook her head, "because I told her that I couldn't explain what was going on right now because it's not my place to say."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow, "well that sounds like a reasonable reason not to tell her."

Chris nodded her agreement, "and then she told me that if I wasn't gonna be useful then I should just go sit in the Tardis."

"Wha-" The Doctor started but Chris just continued talking as she walked past The Doctor.

"Which is what I'm going to do because apparently, I can't do anything right." Chris finished before entering the Tardis and shutting the doors behind her. She made sure the doors were locked and asked the Tardis is ensure she was left alone before heading to her room to shower.

 _Are you okay?_ Rain asked, trying to comfort Chris but failing.

 _ **Would you be okay in my place?**_ Chris snapped _**Sorry, that's not fair. You're experiencing this too. God, I just want one adventure, just one, where The Doctor trusts me and is not an asshole.**_

 _He trusted you when you first got here._ Rain pointed out.

 _ **Yeah, I guess I just thought that this him would, y'know, care more,**_ Chris said, _**I mean, he was the one who told me to take a break when I first showed up and then next thing you know he's making it my fault that he's not telling Clara what is going on in**_ **her** _ **flipping school. I am so done with this right now. Honestly. And now Clara's pissed at me because I'm not telling her the future either. I mean, why is it always on me to explain things?**_

 _Why don't you shower and get some sleep,_ Rain suggested, _lord knows you haven't gotten enough of it recently._

 _ **Yeah, I'm gonna do that.**_ Chris agreed before grabbing a change of clothes and going into the bathroom.


	22. The Caretaker: Part Two

"We need to talk," Chris said when she next saw Clara, which was after the third class of the day had gotten out, just before lunch.

Clara nodded before leading Chris to a place where they could talk privately. She waited patiently for Chris to start, not that Chris knew where that would be.

Suddenly Clara was hugging Chris who was crying into the other woman's shoulder. Clara rubbed Chris' back and made hushing noises, doing her best to comfort the younger woman.

"Sorry," Chris said pulling back and wiping at her eyes, "I just- what you said hurt, Clara. It hurt really bad and that's not how I want to start our relationship. That's not how I want to look back and see the first time I really got to interact with Clara Oswald."

"I'm so sorry," Clara said, wiping at her eyes as well, "I was so angry with The Doctor and I was scared and I took that out on you and that was unfair of me. I've never met a you that was this young."

"I'm only three years younger than you," Chris told the woman, "at least right now I am. I guess in the future I might be older than you."

Clara hummed, "can I give you another hug?"

Chris answered by pulling Clara into a hug.

"Be careful what you tell a person when you're scared, Clara," Chris said, "my mom used to say that thoughts shared when scared are worse than thoughts shared when angry."

"I really am sorry, Chris, what can I do to make it up to you?" Clara said, furrowing her brows.

"You're already forgiven," Chris said with a shrug, "nothing to it."

"Seriously?" Clara asked confused, "how come?"

"If I held grudges against my friends every time they hurt me I'd have no friends left," Chris said matter-of- factly, "now if you'll excuse me I have a doctor's appointment."

* * *

Chris slowly made her way through the halls, looking for The Doctor. She had thought a lot during the night about why she was angry with The Doctor and realized quickly that it wasn't worth it. Sure, what he said was uncalled for and frankly she wanted to kick him in the shin at least five times for it, but right now there were children in danger and that took priority.

She also needed to come clean to The Doctor, let him know that while she knew the gist of what happened on this adventure she couldn't remember anything specific. The only thing she could come up with were cones in the school gym. She couldn't even remember what kind of alien it was they were trying to take care of.

Maybe a future her had told The Doctor why it was that she didn't remember much from these episodes. Maybe he understood already, maybe he was just forgetful. She'd been going through a rough patch and while Doctor Who had helped her she just hadn't been that into it at the time. She'd have the episodes playing in the background as she tried to sleep, not really watching them.

Something she was sorely regretting right now.

"If I were The Doctor where would I be," Chris mused before making her way to the Tardis.

The Doctor was fiddling with a metal watch when Chris walked in. He looked up at her and set the watch down before walking over, leaving a few feet of space between them.

"Chris, I just wanted to say that I really am truly sorry," The Doctor said, "what I said was uncalled for and if I could take it back I would. I'm just not used to a you this… young. In your future you would have just shaken it off. I'm not trying to excuse what I said but I'm not good with… emotions."

"It's okay, Doctor," Chris said, obviously surprising the man, "I still need space and a little bit of time but it's okay. I need to work on being proactive rather than reactive."

"How is it that you get less forgiving as you get older?" The Doctor questioned with a head tilt.

"I wouldn't consider myself forgiving, Doctor," Chris said with a shrug as she walked past him, "I just know when to pick my battles and while what you said hurt, on a scale of one to ten for how much it's worth it I'd say this is about a two."

"Oh," The Doctor said before heading to the console and picking up the watch again, "so what you mean is this isn't the worst thing I've said to you."

"It's not," Chris said, "and I've forgiven you for that as well. Anyways, I wasn't being fair either. I'm exhausted and I overreact when I'm grumpy. "

"Alright," The Doctor said, nodding, "do you want to help me then?"

"That depends," Chris said with a grin, "do I get a watch too?"

The Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out a watch, identical to the one he was working on, and tossed it to Chris. She quickly put it on and pressed the button to activate it, right as Clara walked in.

"This is awesome," Chris said, hitting the button so that she'd phase back in, "can I keep it?"

"Of course not," The Doctor said, grabbing it back, "you're a menace without it."

"Darn," Chris said, "can I at least prank Clara with it when she inevitably shows?"

The Doctor thought for a moment before handing the watch back to Chris. She put it on but didn't activate it yet. The time lord went to the other side of the console and started to fiddle around with the scanner.

"Okay. Now we're in business," He said as the Tardis started to glow green, "Let's see the lie of the land. Time to see what's going on."

After hearing what sounded like a door opening Chris turned on her watch and peaked out of the Tardis to see a student in the caretaker storage.

 _You've got a visitor,_ Rain informed the time lord as Chris stepped out, careful not to bump into anything.

"Hello?" the student said, approaching the still glowing Tardis, "Oi. What are you doing? Are you in there?"

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the most dangerous of them all?" The Doctor said from inside the Tardis as the green light started to fade.

"There's been a spillage in Geography, I need some paper towels," the student called as The Doctor came out of the Tardis.

"Can't you read?" He asked shortly

"Course I can read," the student, Courtney is Chris was remembering correctly, she was in one of her drama classes, said indignantly, "Read what?"

"The door," The Doctor said, pointing to the door, "It says, Keep Out."

"No," Courtney disagreed, "it says, Go Away Humans."

Chris was trying very hard not to laugh and blow her cover. She could feel The Doctor glaring in her general direction as she watched the awkward exchange.

"Oh, so it does," The Doctor nodded before giving Courtney some advice, "Never lose your temper in the middle of a door sign."

"What was you doing in there?" Courtney asked, ever the curious kid, "What's that box?"

"The caretaker's box," The Doctor said uncomfortably, he was not good with children, that was Chris job, "Every caretaker has their own box."

"It says Police," Courtney said.

"Exactly, there's a policeman in there, in case of emergencies and children," The Doctor said before grabbing paper towels and handing them to the annoying child, "Towels, there, g-g-go."

"What was that green glow?" Courtney asked, "There was a green glow coming from in there. What was it?"

 _Gotta admit, she is persistent,_ Rain noted

 _ **A nice quality for a lady to have.**_

Will you two be quiet? The Doctor snapped, causing Chris to stare at him in shock.

"Of course there was," The Doctor said as though he wasn't talking to Chris. "What's a policeman without a death ray?"

He grinned as the bell rang and ushered the human out of his shed, "Oh, listen, there's the bell. Off you go. Haven't you got shoplifting to go to?"

"I'm going to tell the Headmaster," Courtney warned.

 _ **He knows who you are?**_ Chris asked Rain.

 _Evidently._ Rain said, blocking The Doctor out, _Though I don't know how he can hear you._

 _ **Do we ask him about it now or wait until after the school is saved?**_

 _After._

"Oh, yes, fine," The Doctor said, not worried at all. After all, what would the human say? "Well, cut along, you're running out of time."

"For what?"

"Everything," The Doctor said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "Human beings have incredibly short life spans. Frankly, you should all be in a permanent state of panic. Tick tock, tick tock."

"You're weird," Courtney said.

"Yes, I am," The Doctor agreed, "What about you?"

"I'm a disruptive influence," Courtney said, almost proud.

"Good to meet you," The Doctor said.

"And you," Courtney said, holding out her hand which The Doctor shook

"Now get lost," The Doctor ordered.

"Okay," Courtney agreed, nearly running into Clara as she left, "Hello, miss. Love to the Squaddie."

"Sorry, what did you say?" Clara asked but Courtney was already running back to her classroom, she turned to The Doctor, "What was she doing in here?"

"Paper towels," The Doctor told her, "Now, I imagine you have many questions. Fire away. I won't answer any of them."

"What were they like?" Clara asked

"What were who like?" The Doctor wondered, startled by the question.

"The others before me. Did they let you get away with this kind of thing?" Clara wondered, "This school is in danger."

"Well, it's lucky I'm here, then," The Doctor said, going about his business, pulling out his own watch and tweaking a few things.

"From you,"

"Me?"

"You wouldn't be here if there wasn't an alien threat nearby," Clara pointed out, "Your strategy for dealing with it involves endangering this school."

"You don't know that," The Doctor argued, almost hurt by the accusation.

"I don't know anything because you haven't told me anything, which means I wouldn't approve, which means you are endangering this school." Clara said, pausing when The Doctor used his sonic to reveal the globe that was earlier turning the Tardis green. "What's that?"

"It's a scanner. I'm scanning," The Doctor said, staring at Clara, "Why do I keep you around?"

"Because sometimes Chris isn't here to be your conscience," Clara quipped, "Scanning for what?"

"Any alien technology in this vicinity should show up," The Doctor said before turning to Clara, "I used to have a teacher exactly like you once."

"You still do," Clara said, "Pay attention."

"This is boring," Chris said suddenly, making Clara jump and whirl to wear her voice was coming, "oh shit, sorry, still invisible."

Chris hit a button on her watch and suddenly was visible to Clara and The Doctor.

"Sorry, I was going to prank you Clara but honestly, being invisible is a lot more boring than it would seem," Chris said as she went to the scanner which was displaying a creature that seemed to be sitting in a wheelchair, "oh, what's that?"

The Doctor and Clara both looked at the scanner to see what Chris was talking about. The Doctor looked angry and Clara looked both scared and confused.

"What the hell is it?" Clara asked.

"A Skovox Blitzer," The Doctor explained, "One of the deadliest killing machines ever created. Probably homed in here because of artron emissions. You've had enough of them in this area over the years. There's enough explosive in its armory to take out the whole planet."

"Then leave it alone," Clara said.

"Sooner or later it will creep from its hidey-hole and some military idiot will try to attack it," The Doctor said as he turned off the image, "The world is full of PE teachers."

* * *

The three of them were in the tardis, Chris sitting on the stairs and Clara and The Doctor standing around the console. Chris was watching with interest as the two talked about how The Doctor was going to save the school.

She realized then that she'd never taken the time to just watch The Doctor interact with his companions. Of course, she knew that her being there was going to change things but she'd never really focused on how it would change the dynamic between The Doctor and his companion.

Chris had a hold of the bag that The Doctor had brought in and was tempted to go through it but wasn't sure if that was a good idea. She was pretty sure the contents of the bag were highly dangerous and she probably should not even be handling it.

"So, your insanely dangerous plan is?" Clara asked, eyeing The Doctor suspiciously. The Doctor held up his watch, which he'd just finished working on, "A new watch. Tiny bit disappointed."

"This is a very special watch," The Doctor said before pressing a button and disappearing from their sight.

"Doctor?" Clara called before reaching up to cover her nose, "Oi! Ow! Did you just flick my nose? You're invisible. Ha, ha! Oh, my God, that's incredible."

"Correct. I am invisible and I am incredible," The Doctor said, still invisible. He went over to Chris and tapped her on the shoulder, grunting when she swung her arm out and hit him with a smirk, "It's simply a matter of reversing light waves. Hang on, I'm coming back."

"Alright, where are you?" Clara asked as The Doctor reappeared by Chris, rubbing the arm she had hit. She stood up and walked over to the console with The Doctor following her.

"So, I give the Blitzer a tiny whiff of non-threatening alien tech," The Doctor said, "I lead it back here, but I don't want it to scan me, hence invisible."

"So you're, you're leading the thing here?" Clara asked indignantly, "To a school? My, my school?"

"My school? Oh, that is telling," The Doctor said, "This is the only suitably empty place in the area. I've set up a circle of time mines around the school. Chronodyne generators. Bit unstable." He tossed one to Clara, "I switch them on, the Blitzer gets sucked into a big old time vortex, billions of years into the future. It's dead easy. Tiny bit boring. I'll need a book and a sandwich."

"And me," Clara argued giving him the Chronodyne generator back, "You're not doing this alone."

"I don't need you this time. I've got Chris," He said, wrapping an arm around the woman's shoulder and leading her towards the stairs, "I'll see you tomorrow. We'll go somewhere nice. Ancient Egypt. Crocodilopolis. They worship a big crocodile there, so the name is a useful coincidence. Go and canoodle with your boyfriend," Clara raised an eyebrow at that, surprised that The Doctor knew who she was dating, "Come on. I wasn't born yesterday. Far from it."

"You did recognize him," Clara said happily.

"Possibly from 1997 reminded me of a certain dashing young time traveler," The Doctor said.

"Oh, of course, you recognized him," Clara shook her head, "I. Sorry. Stupid. I, I underestimated you."

"It's easily done," The Doctor said with a shrug, "There's a lot to estimate."

"And you, you like him?" Clara asked hopefully.

"Yes, I like him very, very much," The Doctor said distractedly, "Go home and canoodle. Doctor's orders. Come on."

"Just this once, I'm doing what I'm told," Clara said as The Doctor ushered her out of the Tardis.

"Oh, sing hosanna," The Doctor quipped.

"Ah," Clara grinned happily as she left. "So easy."

"Alrighty then, Doc," Chris said once the door was closed, She handed the green bag to him, "I do appear to have a class this period so I'll be off."

"Be careful," The Doctor said, taking the bag. It looked like he wanted to say something else but he shook his head and instead said, "and make sure you get your dates right. Clara thought Jane Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice in 1797."

"But she was too busy then," Chris said with a grin as she opened the door to the caretaker's shed, "I remember some things, Doc."

* * *

Chris watched as Danny Pink opened the door to his classroom. She had stayed back after classes had ended to work on the sub notes, making some changes here and there. Deciding that reading two Shakespeare plays in one week was a little overkill. Whoever Mrs. Smith was she obviously had very high standards.

Danny paused just outside the door at the sound of beeping and Chris watched as he walked up to the fire alarm which was holding one of The Doctor's gizmos.

"I wouldn't do that," Chris said as he was about to remove it, "mysterious flashy green thing that beeps in a school hall in the middle of the night? Yeah, I wouldn't touch it."

"Ms. Wesley," Danny said, hand still raised to grab the device, "what are you still doing here?"

"Oh, I was finishing paperwork, switching some sub plans around," Chris said with a shrug, "and you can call me Chris, y'know."

"What do you know about this thing?" Danny then asked, pointing to the device.

"Not much, actually," Chris said, "I kinda tuned The Doctor out on accident when he was talking about it."

"The Doctor?" Danny said, turning to Chris.

"Oh yeah, John Smith, he prefers The Doctor though," Chris said with a nod, "only you're allowed to know that though."

"Only me?" Danny's eyebrows furrowed, "what are you on?"

"An adrenalin rush," Chris said with a shrug.

"Who are you?" Danny asked, this time backing away from Chris, "Who is this 'doctor'?"

"My name is Chris Wesley, and I can explain everything later but we need to move," Chris said before ushering Danny down the hall. She was surprised when he allowed her to.

"You see Danny boy, this school is in danger. In fact, this entire planet is in danger," Chris explained as she led Danny to the gymnasium, pointing out The Doctor's gizmos along the way, "and those things that are beeping are going to help The Doctor save us all."

"but -" Danny said but Chris shushed him and kept talking.

"But you see, if you removed those and the circle had been broken then the Skovox Blitzer would have only been moved seven two hours off, not billions of years," Chris explained, "of course I'm only just now remembering this and seeing as how you've stopped walking you obviously don't believe me."

Chris waited as Danny turned around and she frowned when she saw a beeping red Chronodyne generator in his hand.

"But the other ones were green?" Chris said confusedly, "when did you even have the chance to grab it? Where did you grab it from?"

Chris turned as she heard The Doctor's voice from the direction of the gym.

"Welp, it's too late now," She said as she grabbed Danny's hand and tugged him after her, "We've got to get the Chronodyne generator to the gym or the Skovox is going to blow up the planet."

She felt Danny tug on her arm and she turned to glare at him, "now is not the time, Mr. Pink."

He seemed to understand as he let Chris pull him towards the gym at a sprint. She threw open the doors and cringed as she got the attention of the Skovox before turning to Danny.

"Danny, throw the Chronodyne generator on the ground," She ordered.

"What?" Danny asked.

"Just do it!" Chris yelled and thankfully Danny listened as The Doctor shouted behind them.

"Get back!" The Doctor yelled but Chris ignored him as she watched the Skovox in horror as it started to shoot at her and Danny.

Danny, luckily for them both, was quick to react and knocked Chris on the ground and out of the way. She felt her head hit to floor and groaned as she pushed herself up, careful to not move too fast. She reached up to feel the spot and sighed as her hand came away with blood.

"Problem solution destroy," The Skovox said and Chris groaned

"No!" Danny yelled, picking up a chair to attack the Skovox, "Get away from us!"

The Doctor then activated his screwdriver which opened up the temporal vortex around the Skovox Blitzer and Chris sighed in relief.

"Temporal disrupt," The Skovox said as it struggled against the vortex, "Warning warning. Temporal failure."

Chris looked over with blurry vision as Clara ran into the room. She immediately ran to Danny and grabbed him, trying to pull him away from the vortex, yelling at The Doctor the entire time.

"No! No, no, no, no! Doctor, stop! Doctor!"

"Warning system failure," The Skovox said as it entered the vortex, "Abort. Abort."

The Doctor let out a relieved sigh before turning on Danny with anger. He had worked very hard to place the chronodyne generator and was very upset with the human for ruining his work and endangering the planet.

"Oh, oh, well done, PE, brilliant work. What's this?" He said harshly, brandishing the gizmo, "A chronodyne generator? I'll just deactivate that, shall I? I've got a swimming certificate so that qualifies me to meddle with higher technology. Never mind that some people are actually trying to save the planet. Oh, no. There's only room in my head for cross-country and the offside rule."

"Danny, what are you doing here?" Clara asked, glaring at The Doctor before turning her attention to her boyfriend.

"I was checking up on him. He's been up to something, fiddling with the electric, but what the?" Danny said before everything suddenly sunk in, "No. What? Did you see that thing? Tell me you saw that thing."

"I saw the thing, yeah," Clara assured before looking to The Doctor, "Doctor, are we safe? Is the planet safe? It's gone?"

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, for the moment," The Doctor said before glaring at Danny, "But the thing is, you see, the chronodyne generators have to be precisely aligned to generate the vortex. But the sergeant here, he went and moved one."

"She knew about it," Danny said, still in shock, as he turned to Chris, "she tried to get me to leave it alone." he turned back to Clara, "how did she know?"

Chris watched them talk, feeling faint as she pulled her hand away again to see more blood. She wasn't sure how long she could put off throwing up but she knew that if she tried to move at all that was what she was going to do.

"But the chronodyne worked," The Doctor said, ignoring Danny for a moment, "It's gone."

The Doctor used his sonic to measure how much time they'd have and frowned. He wasn't sure if he could pull off a miracle in three days.

"But not far enough," The Doctor explained, "The vortex will open here again, but not in a billion years."

"Then when?" Clara asked.

"Er, seventy four hours," The Doctor said, reading the scan, "Three days? Three days to think of something new because now it knows what to expect. Now it has scanned me and it will kill me on sight, thanks to PE here."

"Clara, why are you talking to him like that?" Danny asked as The Doctor walked off a bit, needing space so he didn't blow up at the human, "Why are you using words like chronodyne? Was that thing a space thing? Oh. Oh, my God, you're from space. You're a spacewoman. You said you were from Blackpool."

"Doctor," Chris called weakly, gaining the attention of the time lord and the two other humans.

"Chris," The Doctor said urgently, slamming his notebook shut and running over to her, "why didn't you say anything?"

"Gonna throw up," Chris said before doing so, surely getting some vomit on The Doctor as he turned her to the side.

"Oh dear," The Doctor said, eyeing the blood that was coating Chris' hair. He could feel the rage toward Danny building and was going to give the human a piece of his mind for endangering Chris when the woman grabbed his hand.

"I can feel you getting angry," She said lowly, "he's good for her. Don't ruin it."

"But he endangered the entire planet," The Doctor argued, just as quiet, "he got you hurt."

"I got me hurt," Chris said, "Danny saved me from getting killed."

The Doctor closed his eyes briefly before picking Chris up, ignoring the looks he got from Clara and Danny who were going on about plays and calling the army as they followed him. He cradled Chris to himself as he brought her to the med bay in the Tardis.

"Twice I've been here since I met this you," Chris said with a small smile, "please tell me I don't make a habit of it."

"You don't make a habit of it," The Doctor said distractedly as he pulled the materials he needed from various cupboards and cabinets.

"You're lying," Chris said, "oh, I have the worst headache right now."

"Stop talking," The Doctor ordered before he grabbed a tube of some past from the planet Grast which had the best medicinal herbs in the universe and used it on Chris' head. "This is gonna sting a bit."

Chris winced at the sting but immediately started to feel better. She blinked up at The Doctor as her vision started to clear and then grinned. He held her down as she started to sit up with a frown before he jabbed her arm, making her cry out.

"What was that for?" She demanded incredulously.

"The Fretria plant is poisonous to humans," The Doctor explained as he put a plaster on the shot site, "this is to counteract the toxins."

"Oh brilliant," Chris groaned as she started to feel hot, "I've got a fever now, thank you very much."

"I know," The Doctor said as he covered Chris in a blanket, "now sleep, you'll feel better in the morning."

"Fine," Chris said before doing as he said.

* * *

Chris woke feeling much better, like The Doctor said she would, and went off in search of her room and a shower. Once she was sure she got the blood out of her hair, as well as the ointment The Doctor had used, she changed into a clean pair of black pants, a checkered black and white flannel, and a pair of black converse. She shouldered her bag, which she'd neglected for most of her time with twelve, and went off in search of said Doctor.

She found him, Danny, and Clara in the console room and grimaced, knowing that no one in that room was happy with anyone else.

"Right away, sir," Danny asked sarcastically, "Straight now?"

"Yes," The Doctor said in the same tone.

"Am I dismissed?" Danny asked again.

"Yes, you are!" The Doctor snapped.

"That's him. Look at him, right now," Danny said to Clara before leaving, "That's who he is."

"On balance, I think that went quite well," The Doctor said after taking a calming breath.

"Danny, it's not time to go home yet," Clara said, following Danny out with a last look at The Doctor, "It's parents' evening."

Chris walked down the stairs and into the console room to see The Doctor looking at the contraption he made with frustration.

"You're up," He noted, turning to look at Clara, "and you've had a wash."

"I tend to have those when I can, yes," Chris said before joining The Doctor in his contemplation of the contraption, "two days, yeah?"

The Doctor nodded.

"You can do it," Chris assured him, "and Danny's wrong, you're so much better than he could ever imagine."

"Thanks, Chris," The Doctor said, taking Chris' hand and giving it a squeeze before getting back to business.

"Ah, guess it's too late to ask about Rain," Chris said as she started to glow, the nausea she felt every time she left somewhere arriving, "looks like I'm off."

The Doctor turned to Chris and nodded, a sad look in his eyes that made her heart squeeze.

"You got this," She assured one last time before she suddenly found herself in a small bedroom on some kind of ship, facing an older man who was singing along to a walkman.

"Oh, hello," She said waving at the surprised man. "You wouldn't happen to know where I am, would you?"

"Chris?" He asked with furrowed brows, "you said we'd meet again but you never said it'd be here."


	23. Cold War: Part One

Chris grinned at Professor Grisenko as he handed him a card. She set down her pair before laughing at the displeased look on his face.

"How do you get so lucky at this game?" Grisenko asked as he picked up all the cards and put them in their box before handing them to Chris.

"It's go fish, Professor," Chris said with a smirk, "I get lucky, that's all."

"You must have some sort of strategy figured out," Grisenko argued as the two left the room, him listening to his walkman and Chris digging through her bag for a candy bar she was sure she had nicked from the galley earlier that day.

Chris laughed at the professor as she pulled out her chocolate bar triumphantly and opened the packaging. She hummed at the sweet taste as she followed the professor into the control room, which she learned was called conning tower or a conn, of the ship, ignoring the stares that they were getting as the captain called off their drill.

When she had finished talking to Professor Grisenko upon her arrival in the soviet submarine Chris had used her psychic paper and the word of the professor to convince the crew that she was meant to be there. She'd even convinced them that she'd been there the whole time, just hiding away because of a contagious sickness that they didn't want anyone to catch.

Now that she was 'healthy' she was able to go anywhere on the ship, provided that the professor was with her. Those hadn't been the original parameters but she'd been caught once too many times messing with the controls of the ship. She had been sonicing the radio to see if they could pick up any FM waves but they were too far underwater and she wasn't that adept at using the device yet.

"Oh Vienna. Have we interrupted something?" Professor Grisenko asked when everyone stopped to look at the duo.

"We were about to blow up the world, Professor," Zhukov informed him, closing his eyes briefly to gain control of himself.

"Again?" Grisenko wondered before explaining what he was listening to, "Ultravox. I bloody love them. Got a friend who sends me the tapes."

Captain Zhukov sighed and went to the radio, calling out to his crew, "This is the Captain. Drill abandoned. All hands, stand down. Repeat, drill abandoned."

"With respect, sir, we must run it again," Stepashin, a crew member that Chris did not really get along with, said urgently.

"Tomorrow," Zhukov told the man. She turned her head to watch the expression on each man's face as they spoke.

"Comrade Captain, the NATO exercises-" Stepashin started.

"Sabre rattling," Zhukov assured him calmly.

Stepashin shook his head, "I don't think so."

"Oh, you don't think so?" Zhukov asked.

"Sir, American aggression gets more intolerable by the day," Stepashin urged, "We must run the drill again."

"Tomorrow," Zhukov repeated in a voice that implied dismissal, Stepashin understood and left the room, throwing a glare at Chris who grinned back at him.

"Did you have your specimen stowed okay?" Zhukov asked Grisenko quietly, ignoring Chris, as he was apt at doing by now. Unless she was messing with something on the submarine, of course.

"Yeah," Grisenko assured, just as quietly, "Piotr's looking after it."

"Well, at least we have something to show for our little hunting expedition," Zhukov muttered, "What is it, a mammoth?"

"Probably," Grisenko agreed, knowing that it was not a mammoth.

Chris turned to Grisenko with a sigh, "that thing is much too small to be a mammoth. Why are humans so quick to believe things that cannot be true?"

"You mean like an entire human that they didn't know was on a submarine with them for a whole eight months?" Grisenko joked quietly as he led Chris through the conn and to the galley, knowing that the woman would be wanting to eat something other than a candy bar soon.

"Touche," Chris said with a grin, allowing herself to be led away. "I told you that thing was dangerous, though, didn't I?"

"Yes, but you never explained how you knew that," Grisenko said, "you've yet to explain anything about yourself."

"And yet you allowed me to stay, instead of having me shot dead or thrown out of the submarine," Chris said with a raised brow, "I'm not saying I don't appreciate it but your actions are just as strange as mine."

"You have a point there, Ms. Wesley," Grisenko said before turning his attention to the head cook and getting their dinners squared away.

* * *

Chris woke from her nap to the feeling of the submarine shaking unnaturally and the hull breach alarm blaring. She'd asked to hear all the various alarms a few days after she'd shown up so she'd know how to react to each one. For this alarm she decided that her best bet was to go to the conn, seeing as she knew that that was where The Doctor was going to show up.

"Oh, look at that," Grisenko said once Chris and he were making their way to the conn, "it's not a mammoth."

"No shit, Sherlock," Chris muttered before pulling the Professor along, using piping to keep the two of them from slipping as the submarine continued to shake.

"Alarm! Alarm!" Onegin yelled as the two of them arrived in the conn, "Hold the bridge, port side."

"Evasive manoeuvres!" Zhukov ordered from his position holding onto the scope in order to keep his balance as the water flooded in.

"Descending to two hundred metres," Onegin yelled as he pushed buttons and pulled a few levers.

"We're under attack!" Another crew member yelled, Chris couldn't hear who, as Onegin called out: "Two ten!"

"Bring her up!" Zhukov ordered, "Bring her up!"

"It's no good, sir," Onegin yelled out as the Tardis materialised.

"A sight for sore eyes," Chris said with a grin as she help on tight to some pipes off to the side. She watched as the eleventh Doctor stepped out of the Tardis.

"Viva Las Vegas!" The Doctor yelled, throwing out his arms as the submarine shook again, sending both him and Clara flying across the conn.

"Stranger on the bridge!" Stepashin called.

"No shit," Chris snapped, using her frustration to hide the fear that was building in her as the conn continued to fill with water.

"Who the hell are you?" Zhukov demanded.

"Not Vegas, then," Clara said as she stood up, not seeing Chris behind her.

"No," The Doctor agreed, grinning as he looked around the conn, also not noticing Chris in her borrowed soviet uniform. "No, this is much better."

"A sinking submarine?" Clara asked.

"A sinking Soviet submarine!" The Doctor corrected cheerfully

"Break out side arms," Stepashin ordered, "Restrain them!"

"Four ten. Four twenty," Onegin called, "Turbines still not responding!"

"They've got to," Zhukov said, rushing over to the controls.

"Ah! Sideways momentum," The Doctor said after scanning the controls with his sonic and reading the results, "You've still got sideways momentum!"

"What?" Zhukov asked, confused by the strange man.

"Your propellers work independently of the main turbines," The Doctor reminded, "You can't stop her going down but you can maneuver the sub laterally. Do it!"

"Get these people off the bridge now!" Stepashin snapped.

"Just listen to him, for god's sake!" Chris snapped at the same time as Clara, gaining the attention of both her and The Doctor.

"Chris!" The Doctor yelled, moving towards her.

"Not the time," Chris snapped, pointing to Stepashin and Zhukov who were staring at her suspiciously.

"Geographical anomaly to starboard," The Doctor said after nodding his agreement, "Probably an underwater ridge."

"How do you know this?" Zhukov questioned, hesitant to trust him.

"Look, we have just a chance to stop the descent if we settle on it," The Doctor explained before ordering, "Do it!"

"Six hundred meters," Onegin called out, "Sir, six ten!"

"Or this thing is going to implode," The Doctor warned.

"Lateral thrust to starboard, all propellers," Zhukov ordered, knowing that this was their only shot at survival.

"Sir?" Onegin questioned, turning to look at his captain.

"Now!" Zhukov snapped

"You're going to let this madman give the orders?" Stepashin demanded, glaring at his captain.

"Lateral thrust!" Zhukov said again.

"Aye, sir!" Onegin agreed, following the order just in time. "Six sixty, six eighty."

Chris gripped the pipe she was holding tighter as the submarine hid the ridge, stopping its decent. She watched as The Doctor and Clara fall to the floor and then went to check on Grisenko who was staring at the Tardis in awe.

"I'll explain later," She said as she grabbed the old man's hand and led him to Onegin, who looked like he needed some reassurance.

Onegin let out a relieved sigh, "Descent arrested at seven hundred meters."

"Brilliant job, Onegin," Chris said, grinning at the man. The two of them had bonded over a love of live theater and '70s music in the past few weeks.

"It seems we owe you our lives, whoever you are," Zhukov said, addressing The Doctor suspiciously.

"I'll hold you to that," The Doctor said, "Might come in handy."

"Search them," Stepashin ordered, glaring at the men who hesitated to follow his order, "Yes, I know. It's a woman. Now search them!"

"Are we going to be okay?" Clara asked The Doctor, not looking at him.

"Oh, yes," The Doctor responded as he complied with the search.

"Is that a lie?" Clara questioned.

"Possibly. Very dangerous time, Clara. East and West standing on the brink of nuclear oblivion." A barbie and a ball of string were pulled out of his pocket which everyone seemed to notice held a lot more than it should, "Lots of itchy fingers on the button."

"Isn't it always like that?" Clara asked with a snort.

"Sort of, but there are flash points and this is one. Hair, shoulder pads, nukes," The Doctor explained, "It's the Eighties. Everything's bigger. I would like a receipt, please."

One of the crew handed The Doctor's sonic to Zhukov. He eyed it suspiciously, noting its resemblance to the contraption that Chris had used when she'd been messing with his controls.

"What is this?" He demanded, not addressing The Doctor but instead turning to Chris, who despite her oddness was an honorable person. He didn't dislike her but he also couldn't trust her.

Before she had the chance to respond the submarine shook and she, as well as Clara, took a tumble. Chris was lucky enough to be caught by Grisenko and Onegin, while Clara fell to the ground.

"Clara!" The Doctor called in concern.

"Doctor!" Clara called as she fell into the foot of water. She spotted the sonic which Zhukov had dropped and tried to get to it before she passed out.

"Clara!" The Doctor yelled again before a sound that stopped his hearts reached his ears. He looked over to see that the Tardis was dematerializing.

"Shit," Chris said, "no, no, no, how could I forget about that? How?"

"No!" The Doctor yelled, "No, no, no, no, no, no. No, not now!"

Instead of focusing on the Tardis, something she couldn't help right now, Chris shook the grip the two men had on her shoulder and went to help Clara, picking her limp form up from where she was floating in the water. Chris took her jacket off and used it to cover Clara as the captain started to interrogate The Doctor.

"Captain, we didn't attack your ship out here," The Doctor said as Zhukov grabbed his collar and forced him against the side of the ship, "Now we need to get the pumps working to get her afloat."

"Yeah, we'll last till the rescue ship comes," Zhukov assured

"If it comes," The Doctor said ominously.

"Oh, the sinking is just a coincidence, is it?" Zhukov scoffed, "Who are you?"

Chris looked from the men to Clara as the woman stirred next to her. She helped Clara stand up and walk over to The Doctor. Grinning at the time lord who grinned back before turning to Zhukov.

"All right, Captain, all right," The Doctor said quickly, "You know what? Just this once, no dissembling, no psychic paper, no pretending to be an Earth Ambassador. Doctor, me and Clara, time travellers" He looked Clara over as the woman shivered in Chris' jacket, "Clara, you okay?"

"Think so," Clara said.

"Time travelers?" Zhukov scoffed.

"We arrived here out of thin air," The Doctor pointed out, "You just saw it happen."

"I didn't," Grisenko said from where he was still standing next to Onegin

"Your problem, mate, not mine," The Doctor snapped.

Chris moved from Clara to Grisenko who looked perturbed. "I said I'd explain. The Doctor is brilliant, he's going to help us. Just trust me and let him speak."

"We were sinking," Clara said

"Yes," The Doctor agreed.

"What happened?"

"We sank."

"No, what happened to the Tardis, I mean." Clara corrected.

"Never mind that," The Doctor said, "Listen. Captain, breath's precious down here. Let's not waste it, eh?"

"You're right," Zhukov agreed, nodding, "Maybe I can save a little oxygen by having you both shot!:

"What does it matter how we arrived? The important thing is to get," There was a hissing breath coming from in front of them and Clara froze on the spot, everyone else noticed it as well with wide eyes, "Out."

"Exactly! Number one priority, not suffocating." The Doctor continued obliviously as Zhukov spotted the creature everyone was staring at and released him, "Eh? Ah. Oh, thank you. Finally seeing sense. Now, what sort of state is the sub in?"

"He's an idiot," Grisenko murmured to Chris who nodded her agreement.

"And yet he's still gonna save our lives," She assured, "now hush."

"Doctor," Clara called as The Doctor remained oblivious to the creature behind him.

"What about the radio? Can we send a-"

"Doctor!" Clara snapped, getting The Doctor to stop talking.

"What!" the Ice Warrior hissed behind him getting The Doctor to stop, "What is that? Gas? Could be gas." He turned to look at the Ice Warrior, "Ah. It never rains but it pours."

"We were drilling for oil in the ice," Grisenko told The Doctor, "I thought I'd found a mammoth."

"I told you it wasn't a mammoth," Chris whispered to the professor, "but no, you had to bring the blasted thing aboard."

"It's not a mammoth," The Doctor agreed.

"No," Grisenko said, "Chris was right."

"Thank you."

"What is it, then?" Clara asked.

"It's an Ice Warrior," The Doctor explained, "A native of the planet Mars. And we go way back. Way back."

"A Martian?" Zhukov said incredulously, "You can't be serious."

"I'm always serious," The Doctor said, "With days off."

"Doctor," Clara admonished.

"Just keeping it light, Clara," The Doctor explained, "They're scared."

"They're scared?" Clara whispered harshly, "I'm scared."

"You idiot," Chris snapped harshly at Stepashin who had raised his pistol at the Ice Warrior.

"No, no, no, no, no, no!" The Doctor pleaded when the Ice Warrior responded by raising his arms and powering up his weapons, "Please, please. Wait, just. There is no need for this. Just hear me out. You're confused, disorientated. Of course you are. You've been lying dormant in the ice for, for, for how long? How long, Professor?"

"By my reckoning, five thousand years," Grisenko said.

"Five thousand years?" the Doctor said, surprised, "That's a hell of a nap. Can't blame you if you've got out of the wrong side of bed. Look, nobody here wants to hurt you." The Doctor nodded when Chris moved and pushed Stepashin's gun down, whispering something harshly to the man, "Please, just. Why don't you tell us your name?"

"What are you talking about?" Zhukov asked, "It has a name?"

"Of course it has a name," The Doctor said, "And a rank. This is a soldier, and it deserves our respect."

"This is madness," Zhukov declared, "That is a monster!"

"Skaldak," the Ice Warrior introduced. The Doctor pointed at him to prove his point to Zhukov before registering what he had said.

"What did you say?" The Doctor asked.

"I am Grand Marshal Skaldak," the ice warrior repeated.

"Oh, no," The Doctor whispered.

"No, no, no, no," Chris snapped suddenly, noticing Piotr as he came up behind Skaldak, "stop it!"

She was too late to stop him as he pushed a cattle prod into Skaldak's armour. The electricity raced through the wet armour, causing Skaldak to collapse.

"You idiot!" The Doctor snapped, "You idiot. Grand Marshal Skaldak."

"You know him," Clara noted, looking at the prone form to The Doctor

"Sovereign of the Tharsisian caste," The Doctor said, "Vanquisher of the Phobos Heresy. The greatest hero the proud Martian race has ever produced."

"So what do we do now?" Zhukov asked, deferring to The Doctor who was obviously the expert in this scenario.

"Lock him up," The Doctor said darkly.

"Can we lock Piotr up too?" Chris asked, glaring at the man.

"Chris," The Doctor reprimanded lightly.

"What?" Chris asked with a shrug, "it's not my fault he's an idiot."

* * *

"The Ice Warriors have a different creed, Clara," The Doctor explained after Piotr and Onegin had dragged Skaldak to the torpedo room, "A different code. By his own standards, Skaldak is a hero. It was said his enemies honoured him so much, they'd carve his name into their own flesh before they died."

"Oh, yeah. Very nice," Clara said sarcastically, "He sounds lovely."

"An Ice Warrior?" Zhukov questioned before demanding: "explain."

"There isn't time," The Doctor told the captain.

"Try me," Zhukov countered.

"Martian reptile know as the Ice Warrior," The Doctor said, "When Mars turned cold they had to adapt. They're bio-mechaniod. Cyborgs. Built themselves survival armour so they could exist in the freezing cold of their home world, but a sudden increase in temperature and the armour goes haywire."

"Like with the cattle prod thing," Clara realized.

"Like with the cattle prod thing," The Doctor agreed, "Bit of a design flaw. To be honest, I've always wondered why they never sorted it. Oh look, you've got me telling you about them and I said there wasn't time."

"Is he that dangerous?" Clara wondered.

"He sure is," Chris said from where she was fiddling with her sonic, "and once he calls for his friends and realizes that he's alone we're gonna have one pissed off martian on board."

"Language," The Doctor admonished with furrowed brows.

"Why are we listening to this nonsense, Captain?" Stepashin demanded, "These people are clearly enemy agents."

"Huh?" Clara said

"Spies, Captain," Stepashin urged.

"Oh stuff it, Stepashin," Chris snapped, "you thought I was a spy too."

"I still think you are," Stepashin informed her.

"Well I still say you should stuff it," Chris said after a moment, "they're not spies. They'd make terrible spies anyways, do you see how they're dressed."

"Oi," The Doctor said, adjusting his bowtie.

"In my opinion, Comrade Captain, this creature is a Western weapon," Stepashin said, ignoring Chris.

"A weapon?" Zhukov questioned.

"Survival suit," Stepashin said, "What is the alternative? The little green man from Mars?"

"Correction," Grisenko chimed in, "It's a big green man from Mars."

"I don't appreciate your levity, Professor," Stepashin snapped.

"Why does that not surprise me?" Grisenko asked sarcastically, "Maybe they're telling the truth."

"The truth?" Stepashin asked.

"Yes, a revolutionary concept, I know," Grisenko rolled his eyes.

"He's sent out a distress call," Chris said, drawing everyone's attention to her, "just thought you should know, might be best to talk to him, explain what's going on, y'know, avoid the whole massacre thing."

"I'm the only one who can," The Doctor said, agreeing with Chris.

"No," Zhukov denied, "Out of the question. We're not losing you. I'll do it."

"What?"

"You can talk to it through me," Zhukov said.

"That's not going to work," Chris told them, "you both smell like soldiers. It's either gonna be me or Clara. More likely Clara though."

"What, no!" The Doctor said.

"What yes," Chris said, "neither of us smell like a soldier."

"Me?" Clara asked.

"Yes you," Chris said, turning to Clara with a grin, "you'll do brilliantly, don't worry.

"Too late," Clara said with a frown.


	24. Cold War: Part Two

The Doctor, Chris, Grisenko, and Zhukov were in the captain's room, watching through a CCTV as Clara approached the torpedo room. The Doctor was fidgeting nervously, glancing at Chris every few seconds.

"I told you, she'll be fine," Chris assured, trying to hide how nervous she was feeling.

"How do you know this," Zhukov demanded, glancing at Chris from the other side of The Doctor.

Chris hummed, "not really the best time, Captain."

"Later?" he asked.

"Yes, once we've taken care of Skaldak," Chris told him before adding quietly, "supposing that I've not left before that."

"How long have you been here?" The Doctor asked, looking at Chris.

"Doctor," Chris snapped, "not the time to be asking personal questions."

"Right," The Doctor said, focusing back on Clara, he glanced at Zhukov, "With your permission?"

"Be my guest."

"Ready, Clara?" The Doctor asked his companion.

Chris watched The Doctor talk to Clara quietly as she stood next to Grisenko.

"Grisenko, can I see your Walkman?" Chris asked quietly, holding her hand out.

Grisenko handed it to her and watched curiously as she pulled out her own sonic. She wanted to make sure the device wasn't damaged by the water, as it was their only connection to the signal Skaldak had sent out.

"Tell me when the beeping stops," Chris said, turning forward as Grisenko put the headphones around his neck.

They were silent for a few moment more when the lights suddenly went out, jogging something in her memory.

"Wait," She said quickly getting everyone's attention. She went over to The Doctor and turned the mic off so that she didn't scare Clara, "he's not in the suit anymore."

"What do you mean?" The Doctor demanded, "you said she was safe."

"She is," Chris assured, "the others aren't."

"Wouldn't it be more vulnerable?" Grisenko asked.

"No," The Doctor said, running to the door, "It would be more dangerous."

 _Is this the best choice?_ Rain asked suddenly as Chris started to follow The Doctor.

 _ **What do you mean?**_ Chris asked, stopping suddenly and making Grisenko run into her, Zhukov was already out of the room.

 _Trying to save people's lives like you're planning to do._

 _ **Would you rather I just sat here?**_

 _Honestly? Yeah. That way you wouldn't accidentally mess up a timeline._

 _ **You're the time lady, you tell me if this is a fixed point.**_

 _It's not but-_

 ** _Then I'm going to try my damned hardest to save a life._ Chris snapped _, And you're gonna let me._**

 _So be it,_ Rain said, _But you're on your own._

 _ **Fine.**_

* * *

Chris and Grisenko were a few steps behind The Doctor and Zhukov when the released Skaldak rushed past them, forcing them against the wall. The Doctor and Chris ran forward they pulled Clara out of the torpedo room and Chris pulled her into a hug, which she returned gratefully.

"Brilliant," Chris whispered to the woman, "absolutely brilliant."

"Really?" Clara asked, pulling back to look at The Doctor, obviously needing his approval.

"Yes," The Doctor agreed, "brilliant."

He turned to face the rest of the group, "now, where did he go?"

"Chris," Grisenko said, lifting the headphones that were attached to his walkman, "the beeping stopped."

The Doctor went over and took the walkman from Grisenko.

"Skaldak got no answer from his Martian brothers," The Doctor said, examining the Walkman and noticing the waterproofing with a surge of pride for Chris, "Now he's given up hope."

"Hope of what?" Zhukov asked

"Being rescued," The Doctor said, "He thinks he's been abandoned. He's got nothing left to lose."

"But what can he do, stuck down here like the rest of us?" Zhukov asked, "How bad can it be?"

"This sub's stuffed with nuclear missiles, Zhukov," The Doctor reminded the Russian captain, "It's fat with them. What do you think Skaldak's going to do when he finds that out? How bad can it be? How bad can it be? It couldn't be any worse."

The Doctor grimaced as the submarine shifted and they all held onto piping to keep from falling. A hatch opened letting in water but luckily it quickly stopped. The Doctor winced when Chris smacked him on the arm.

"Okay," He conceded at her glare, "Spoke too soon."

"No shit," Chris grumbled under her breath as she found her footing again. She turned to Zhukov then, "Captain, I suggest we get to the control room and warn the crew."

* * *

"Comrades, you know our situation," Zhukov said when they had made it to the control room, "The reactor is drowned. We are totally reliant on battery power and our air is running out. Rescue is unlikely, but we still have a mission to fulfill. If the Doctor is right, then we are all that stands between this creature and the destruction of the world. Control of one missile is all he needs. We are expendable, comrades. Our world is not. I know I can rely on every one of you to do his duty without fail. That is all."

"Even if a missile did get launched, that wouldn't be it, would it?" Clara asked.

"It?" The Doctor questioned.

"End of the world," Clara elaborated, "Game over. I mean, what if they fired one by accident. What would happen then?"

"I told you, Clara," The Doctor explained, "Earth is like a storm waiting to break, right now. Both sides baring their teeth, talking up war. It would only take one tiny spark."

"Yeah, but the world didn't end in 1983, did it, or I wouldn't be here."

"New," The Doctor reminded himself quietly before looking at Clara, "History's in flux. It can be changed. Re-written." He turned back around to find the crew all armed with rifles. "How many of us are left?"

"Thirteen," Zhukov told him, "And we can't find Stepashin."

"Cause he's an idiot," Chris said before shrugging at the glare she received, "what, he's aggressive and a bully, I don't like his type."

"We split up and comb this sub," The Doctor said, ignoring Chris with a shake of his head, "One team stays here to guard the bridge."

"That's it?" Zhukov asked incredulously, "That's the plan?"

"Well, it's either that or we stay here and wait for him to kill us."

"Okay," Zhukov conceded.

"Is it true you've never seen one outside of its shell suit?" Clara asked.

"Shell suit?" The Doctor questioned before understanding, "Clara! For an Ice Warrior to leave its armor is the gravest dishonor. Skaldak is desperate. He is deadly and we have got to find him."

"Will this help?" Grisenko asked, handing The Doctor his sonic which he'd found on the ground.

"Ah!" The Doctor cheered, "You saved it."

"No, no, it was on the floor with this," Grisenko says, handing The Doctor a Barbie doll with a smirk.

"Ah, Professor, I could kiss you," The Doctor said after kissing the Barbie.

"If you insist," Grisenko agreed reluctantly.

"Later," The Doctor said after a glance at Chris.

"I'm going with Onegin," Chris said after a moment of consideration.

"What, why?" The Doctor asked, turning to face her completely.

 _Because I'm an idiot,_ Rain said to The Doctor who looked at Chris in shock

 _ **Hey.**_ Chris admonished furrowing her brows in hurt, _**That is uncalled for.**_

 _Just kidding, because I might be able to help him._

 **He dies.** The Doctor replied sadly in understanding, **Are you sure?**

 _Yes._

"Alright," The Doctor said after a moment and nodded, "be careful."

He kissed her on the forehead and then turned his attention to Zhukov who was telling his men where to go. Chris watched him for a moment with wide eyes before turning to Onegin who was watching her curiously.

"What?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Nothing," Onegin said, shaking his head before leading Chris to Belevich who led the two of them out of the control room.

* * *

"Do you think it's true, sir?" Onegin asked Belevich as the three of them made their way through the corridors, "A Martian?"

"I don't know what to think," Belevich told the younger crew member.

Chris rolled her eyes, "what is it with men and not listening to people? Yes, it's a Martian."

"And how would you know you're just a wo-" Belevich sneered only for Chris to pull him towards her by the back of his collar.

"If you finish that sentence I will leave you for Skaldak to kill," Chris murmured softly in his ear, "I may be a woman but I am capable of more than you could imagine."

She was bluffing but the man didn't know her well enough to know that.

"Ahem," Belevich said after he'd been released. He didn't finish the sentence.

The trio continued down the corridor and climbed through to one of the storage room. Chris was in between Onegin and Belevich and was looking up at the ceiling, her sonic pointing where she knew Skaldak would appear.

"If we get out of here, we'll be bloody heroes," Onegin said proudly.

"If we get out of here," Belevich repeated bitterly.

"The first people in the world to discover a genuine, living," He didn't get to finish when Chris pushed him out of the way, pointing her sonic at the ceiling. She grunted as she knocked over a stack of crates, one of them falling onto her foot.

"Alien?" Belevich asked only for said alien to reach down and grab his head, pulling him up before Chris could react.

"Damnit," She snapped, kicking at a box. She quickly turned to Onegin who was staring at her in awe.

"How did-" Onegin started before Chris shook her head.

"Just shut up and run," She demanded before hauling Onegin to his feet and tugging him out of the room, "Skaldek isn't going to wait for me to explain how I know things, Onegin, we've got to find The Doctor now."

Right as Chris said that she ran smack into the Time Lord who'd been running towards them. She grabbed him arms to keep herself from falling and used her momentum to turn him around and pull him out of the way of Onegin, who wasn't slowing down. The crew member came to a halt right before crashing into Clara.

"Ah, fancy meeting you here," Chris said with a small smile before her face went serious, "Belevich is gone."

"Gone? You mean?" Clara asked before trailing off.

"Let's keep moving," The Doctor said, grabbing Chris' hand and pulling her down a different corridor, moving cautiously as he listened for the Ice Warrior.

* * *

"Stay here," The Doctor ordered as he found a ladder leading up to a different corridor.

"Okay," Clara and Chris agreed at the same time.

"Stay here," The Doctor said again, "Don't argue."

"I'm not," Clara assured.

"Right," The Doctor said, almost confused, "Good."

"Oh, it's a young man's game, all this dashing about," Grisenko said before noticing that Clara was distracted, "Clara, what is it?"

"I was doing okay," Clara said, looking between Chris and Grisenko, "I mean, I went in there and I did the scary stuff, didn't I? I went in there with the Ice Warrior and it went okay. Actually, it went just about as badly as it could have done but that wasn't my fault."

"Not at all," Grisenko agreed.

"So I'm happy about that," Clara continued.

"Yes."

"Chuffed."

"And so you should be," Grisenko assured, "So what's the matter?"

"Someone's dead. It's all got very real," Clara said before turning to Chris, "Are we going to make it?"

"Yes, of course," Chris assures the younger woman with a grin.

The boat shifted and they could hear a growling, Clara whirled around in a panic.

"What was that?"

"The Doctor told you, it's just the boat settling," Grisenko said calmly but quickly, "Tell me about yourself. What do you like doing? Clara? Clara?"

"Stuff," Clara said distractedly, "You know, stuff."

"Stuff," Grisenko nodded, "Very enlightening. And the Doctor, what he said. Is it true you're from another time? From our future? Clara?"

"Yes."

"Chris too?" Grisenko said, grinning when Chris nodded, "Tell me what happens."

"We can't," Clara protested.

"Well, I need to know," Grisenko insisted.

"We're not allowed."

"No, please," he pleaded.

"I can't!" Clara protested.

"Ultravox, do they split up?"  
Clara laughed in shock and Chris shot Grisenko a grateful look before turning to Onegin only to see that he was gone.

"Onegin?" Chris called, taking a step forward only to stop as he head was grabbed from Skaldak from above.

"Let her go!" Grisenko demanded, pulling out a gun and shooting at Skaldak who released Chris.

"Let him go," Chris said, turning around to see Grisenko in the same position she'd been in a moment ago.

"No, please don't hurt him," Clara protested as well, "Please!"

"You attacked me," Skaldak hissed, "Martian law decrees that the people of this planet are forfeit. I now have all the information I require. It will take only one missile to begin the process. To end this Cold War."

Chris felt a twinge of relief as The Doctor joined them. She quickly grabbed his hand and squeezed it before letting go and turning her attention to Grisenko and Skaldak.

"Grand Marshal, let him go, please," Chris pleaded, "There's no need for this."

"My distress call has not been answered," Skaldak said, "It will never be answered. My people are dead. They are dust. There is nothing left for me except my revenge."

"You're wrong," Chris said, "Grand Marshall Skaldak, I've traveled across the stars, I've met many people, people who know your name. Do you want them to remember you as Grand Marshall Skaldak the murderer? Because if you do what you're planning that's what people will remember you as. A dishonorable murderer of billions."

Skaldak released Grisenko and Chris let out a breath of relief before she felt Skaldak grab her again. She closed her eyes briefly, waiting for the pain, but none came.

"Who are you that knows so much?" Skaldak hissed.

"My name is Chris," She replied, eyes wide as she looked up towards the Ice Warrior.

"Skaldak," The Doctor pleaded, "please let her go."

"Chris?" Skaldak questioned, "You're not Chris Wesley, are you?"

"Yes?" Chris said, her brows furrowing in confusion, "sorry, have we met before?"

"You saved my daughter," Skaldak said, releasing Chris suddenly, who would have fallen to the floor if The Doctor hadn't caught her.

"Well, that's another thing to add to my list of 'I do this at some point in my life'." Chris grinned in relief. "Skaldak, please don't endanger the lives of this planet."

"I have spared you once, child of the rain, I am no longer indebted to you." Skaldak hissed as his armor suddenly walked into the room. He dropped down into it.

"He summoned the armor," The Doctor said, wrapping an arm around Chris' waist. She didn't bother questioning it and just leaned into the time lord.

"How did it do that?" Clara asked.

"Sonic tech, Clara," The Doctor explained, "The song of the Ice Warrior."

"No!" The Doctor called as a drew member emptied a load of bullets into the armor and was promptly shot dead.

"My world is dead but now there will be a second red planet. Red with the blood of humanity!" Skaldak promised before he practically disappeared.

"Skaldak!" The Doctor called, releasing Chris only to grab her hand as he ran after the Martian, "Skaldak, wait!"

They arrived at the control room tower just as Skaldak plugged himself into the system and turned on the missile system.

"No! Skaldak, wait!" The Doctor called, "Wait, wait."

"He's arming the warheads," Zhukov said in horror.

"Where is the honor in condemning billions of innocents to death?" The Doctor asked, gaining Skaldak's attention, "Five thousand years ago Mars was the center of a vast empire. The jewel of this solar system. The people of Earth had only just begun to leave their caves. Five thousand years isn't such a long time. They're still just frightened children, still primitive. Who are you to judge them?"

"I am Skaldak!" The Ice Warrior called proudly as he unplugged himself from the system, "This planet is forfeit under Martian law."

"Then teach them," The Doctor urged, "Teach them, Grand Marshal. Show them another way. Show them there is honor in mercy. Is this how you want history to remember you? Grand Marshal Skaldak, Destroyer of Earth. Because that's what you'll be if you send those missiles. Not a soldier, a murderer. Five billion lives extinguished. No chance for goodbyes. A world snuffed out like a candle flame! All right. All right, Skaldak, you leave me no choice. I'm a Time Lord, Skaldak. I know a thing or two about sonic technology myself."

"A threat?" Skaldak asked, "You threaten me, Doctor?"

"No. No, not you, all of us," The Doctor said, "I will blow this sub up before you can even reach that button, Grand Marshal. Blow us all to oblivion."

"You would sacrifice yourself?" Skaldak asked disbelievingly.

"In a heartbeat," The Doctor assured.

"Mutually assured destruction," Skaldak said with a hint of respect.

"Look into my eyes, Skaldak," The Doctor urged as he stepped closer to the Ice Warrior, "Look into my eyes and tell me you're capable of doing this. Huh? Can you do that? Dare you do that? Look into my eyes, Skaldak. Come on. Face to face."

"Well, Doctor," Skaldak said tilting his helmet back to reveal that he had no eyelids, "Which of us shall blink first?"

"Why did you hesitate?" Clara called suddenly, "Back there, in the dark. You were going to kill Chris, yeah? But then you didn't. Why show compassion then, Skaldak, and not now? The Doctor's right. Billions will die. Mothers, sons, fathers, daughters. Remember that last battle, Skaldak? Your daughter. You sang the songs-"

"Of the Red Snows," Skaldak concluded, as the submarine started to shift.

"What's happening?" Clara asked, grabbing onto piping so that she wouldn't fall.

"My people live," Skaldak said before looking at Chris, "You were right, they have come for me!"

"We're rising," Zhukov called in surprise, "We're rising!"

"Six hundred meters," Grisenko read from the controls, "Five fifty."

"We've surfaced," The Doctor said as the conning tower broke through the ice, "Your people have saved us."

"Saved me, not you," Skaldak corrected.

"Just go, Skaldak, please," The Doctor pleaded, "Please, go in peace."

Skaldak nodded as he was teleported away.

"We did it," Clara said gleefully but stopped when she saw Chris shaking her head, face serious as she looked up.

"No. No, no, no, no, no," The Doctor said raising his sonic, "It's still armed. A single pulse from that ship. I'll destroy us if I have to. I will destroy us if I have to. Show mercy, Skaldak. Come on. Show mercy."

"I'm lost and I'm found, and I'm hungry like the wolf," Clara sang under her breath

Everyone relaxed simultaneously as the trigger was disarmed and the warheads closed. The Doctor turned off his screwdriver.

"Now we're safe," The Doctor said before being pulled into a hug by Clara.

"Ahem," Clara said with a grin, "Saved the world, then?"

"Yeah," The Doctor agreed with an answering grin.

"That's what we do," Clara said proudly.

"Yeah," The Doctor said before looking over at Chris, "yeah it is."

Chris walked over to Zhukov and clapped the man on the shoulder, leaning into whisper in his ear, "I'm sorry about your men."

"You've lost friends today too," Zhukov said before pulling Chris into a hug, surprising the young woman.

"Thank you," Chris blinked before returning the hug tightly, "you wanna see something cool?"

"What?" Zhukov asked but Chris was already dragging him to the stairs leading to the top of the conning tower where the Martian ship was still hovering.

"That's impossible," He said as they were joined by Professor Grisenko, Clara, and The Doctor.

"Hardly," Chris grinned before turning to The Doctor, "So you've learned your lesson, right?"

"What lesson?" The Doctor said, looking around as if he'd find the answer.

"Don't mess with the HADS?" Chris teased with a grin.

"The what?" Clara asked from beside The Doctor.

"The HADS," The Doctor started to explain only for Chris to take over.

"The Hostile Action Displacement System," Chris said, "If the Tardis comes under attack, gunfire, time winds, the sea, it relocates."

The Doctor stared at her in astonishment.

"What?" She asked, tilting her head forward to cover a blush, "not all of us throw the Tardis manual into supernovas."

"Oh, Doctor," Clara said, shaking her head.

"Haven't used it in donkey's years. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Well, never mind, it's bound to turn up somewhere," The Doctor said pulling out his sonic and activating it, "Ooo. Ha, see? Right on cue. Brilliant."

"Brilliant," Clara echoed.

"The Tardis is at the pole," The Doctor said.

"Not far, then," Clara noted, looking around pointedly.

"The south pole," Chris corrected with a grin, "which means we get to spend some more time with our new friends. Well, your new friends. They've been my friends for a month."

"Could we have a lift?" The Doctor asked, turning to Zhukov before suddenly spinning to stare wide eyed at Chris, "you've been here a month?!"

"Yup," Chris said with a grin as she started to make her way back inside, winking at Clara who let out a startled laugh, "I've gotten pretty good at Russian Roulette, I've only been shot, what twice?"

"Wha- but- when-" The Doctor sputtered as he followed Chris, "twice?!"

"I'm only kidding, Doctor," Chris said, much to the time lord's relief.

* * *

 **A/N: Y'all have gotten lucky this week. I'm still on summer break and I have nothing else to do. The smoke over here is terrible because half my state is on fire and I don't want to be outside in it too much. I hope you enjoy (and we're finally starting to get some new information and Chris, which is exciting.)**


	25. Planet of the Ood: Part One

She was wearing one of The Doctor's old jackets, a green velvety thing from his eighth regeneration when she'd popped off. They just made it to the Tardis only to find her encased in an iceberg and the only way for them to get her out was to use both her sonic and The Doctor's sonic to reverse the HADS from the outside. She hoped it had worked because she'd disappeared in the middle of it.

"Well, good thing this jacket is insulated," Chris mused as she looked over the barren, icy planet, "I don't know why The Doctor had it in his other jacket's pocket but I'm eternally grateful."

"Do you always talk to yourself?" A familiar voice asked from behind her and Chris spun to see the Tenth Doctor standing next to a fur encased Donna.

"Oh, well," Chris said, scratching the back of her head in a very ten like manner, "I mean- Yeah, it happens."

Chris stepped towards them only for her foot to slip into a hole in the snow. She yelped as she slipped and winced as she landed hard on the snow, feeling something crack in her hand. She opened her eyes to see that her pinky was bent out of place and winced at it.

"That is… unfortunate," She said as she looked up at Donna and The Doctor who had rushed to her side to help her up.

"How did you manage that?" The Doctor asked, gingerly picking up Chris' hand to examine the damage, "not broken. Which is good. I can pop it back into place but it's gonna hurt. On three?"

Chris nodded and took in a deep breath as The Doctor started to count. She almost smacked him when he popped her pinky back into place on two instead of three but decided to put her focus on not passing out from the pain.

"You weren't kidding about the hurting thing, were you?" Chris gasped as she held her hand close to her body. She could see a bruise forming on her pinky and stuck the hand in the pocket, figuring it was best for her not to fixate on it. "So, where are we?"

"Don't know," The Doctor said with a shrug, "but that's the fun of time travel."

Chris nodded and turned to Donna, "and how are you, dearest Donna?"

"Swell," Donna said, stuffing her arms further into her sleeves, "cold though."

"It is a tad cold, isn't it," Chris said as she looked at the icy lands once more, "hang on a mo, do you hear singing?"

"Over there," The Doctor said, pointing to the ground where an Ood was partially covered in snow.

"Oh no," Chris said, running to the Ood and dropping to his side, ignoring the cold of the snow through the jacket. "I'm so sorry."

"What is it?" Donna asked when she and The Doctor had caught up.

"An Ood," The Doctor told Donna, watching Chris and the Ood sadly, "He's called an Ood."

Chris ignored them as Rain reached out to the Ood, wanting to be connected with the magnificent creatures but getting bounced back. She winced and brought a hand up to cover her eyes.

"Apologies," The Ood said, startling Chris, "But the Rain and the Cloud must be protected."

"What's he mean by that?" Donna asked The Doctor.

"What's your name?" The Doctor questioned, ignoring Donna for the moment as he joined Chris.

"Designated Ood Delta 50," The Ood replied, "the circle."

"Sh, sh," The Doctor said interrupting the Ood as he started to inspect it. "Oh, you've been shot."

"The Circle must be broken," The Ood said finally, "the Rain and the Cloud must be protected."

"What do you mean?" The Doctor asked urgently, trying to staunch the bleeding. Chris grabbed his hand and shook her head. She knew it was too late and they were just causing the Ood unneeded pain.

Chris flinched when the Ood sat up and grabbed the hand that she had injured earlier, expecting it to hurt a lot more than it did. He growled, his eyes glowing red, Chris watched slightly scared but not wanting to pull away. When Delta fifty released her he fell back to the ground, no longer breathing. Chris stared at her hand in wonder, seeing that the earlier bruising was gone.

"He's gone," Chris said, closing the Oods eyes and bowing her head for a moment.

"What do we do, do we bury him?" Donna asked looking from The Doctor to Chris.

"The snow'll take care of that," The Doctor said absently, watching Chris carefully.

He blinked when she was suddenly gone, taken in a white light that left spots in his eyes.

* * *

"Been awhile since this happened," Chris noted as she watched The Doctor and Donna join Solana's tour group from a balcony outside of the warehouse. She'd disappeared from the side of Delta fifty one only to appeared just outside the Ood's warehouse.

She wrapped her arms around her middle, watching Delta Fifty die had shaken something in her, leaving her drained.

 _ **What did he mean by that?**_ Chris asked Rain, hoping the Time Lady would know, _**The Rain and The Cloud must be protected?**_

 _Well, I'm assuming he meant us,_ Rain replied, _My name is technically The Rain, I think._

 _ **You think?**_

 _I- uh- don't exactly have all my memories,_ Rain said, shocking Chris who just stared blankly out at the warehouse, losing track of The Doctor and Donna.

 _ **Why is this the first I'm hearing about this?**_

 _Because it's not actually that important._

 _ **Not important?**_ Chris protested, _**What the hell does that mean?**_

 _Look, right now you need to get to The Doctor and Donna._ Rain said, _we can talk about my shortcomings later._

 _ **Fine, but we will be having a discussion, young lady.**_

Rain laughed, startling Chris, _I'm at least three hundred years older than you._

 _ **So young by Time Lord standards,**_ Chris teased as she made her way to the stairs and down to ground level. She was about to follow the Time Lord and his companion just as an alarm started sounding.

 _ **The Ood!**_ Chris said, suddenly remembering what was going to happen. She took off at a sprint away from the warehouse and to where she could hear men running. _**Is my psychic paper in my backpack?**_

 _We don't have time for that!_ Rain protested _The Ood is around the corner, hurry!_

Chris listened and pushed herself faster, catching up with the armed men and making it past them, seeing as she wasn't weighed down by heavy armor.

"Oh, poor guy," Chris said, watching the Ood cower against the barrels, "don't worry, The Doctor and I are on this."

"Who are you?" a voice demanded from behind her, she turned to see that the guards had arrived, the one who had spoken was a black man that was obviously in a higher position than the other two.

"Oh, hello," Chris greeted cheerfully, she took off her bag and reached into the small front pocket where she remembered putting her psychic paper after an adventure involving the planet Kilger and their version of the secret service. "Sorry, just a mo." She pulled out the psychic paper and showed it to the man, "Chris Wesley, Representing the Noble Corporation PLC Limited, Intergalactic."

"Number one Ood expert?" The man asked skeptically.

"Ah yes, a bit of an understatement, really," Chris said, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly, "I'm actually the only true Ood expert."

The Ood behind her began to growl at them and Chris rolled her eyes when the men pointed their guns at it. She turned to the Ood in concern, knowing what was happening to it and yet being powerless to stop it.

"It's alright, friend," Chris whispered to the Ood, "we'll get this straightened out."

"Mister Halpen? This is a bit more than red-eye, sir," the first guard spoke, "This is something new. It's rabid, sir."

"Haplen, that's his name," Chris muttered before addressing the guards, "What are your names? I dislike operating without names."

"Kess, Ma'am," The first guard introduced, "these are Thom and Kevin."

The guards nodded as they were introduced and Chris smiled.

"Ah, sturdy names for sturdy men," She grinned, "now stop pointing your guns at the Ood. You're scaring him."

"Scaring 'him'?" Kess asked.

"It's scaring us," Kevin said, his voice shaking.

"He," Chris corrected pointedly, "has no control over his actions, you do. Guns down!"

The men finally obeyed and lowered their guns while Chris turned back to the Ood. She squatted in front of it. For a while, Chris had blocked out the emotions of other, or Rain had blocked them for her. But recently Chris had been experimenting with it, seeing what exactly she could sense and what she could do with it.

The Ood in front of her was a mixture of emotions, scared, angry, hurt. Chris smiled gently at the Ood, she tried projecting feelings of calm onto it but she could feel the emotions bounce back and frowned.

"The Rain and The Cloud must be protected," The Ood growled, making Chris frown.

"Protected from what?" Chris asked, only for the Ood to repeat his previous statement.

"Ma'am, I'd advise you to step away," Kess said, eyeing the Ood warily.

"I'd advise you to shut up," Chris snapped, "He's not going to hurt me."

"How would you know?" Kess demanded, lifting his gun slightly as the Ood started to growl louder.

"Because I'm not the one pointing a gun at him," Chris said as she turned to glare at the man, "have you not learned how to listen? I said guns down."

Chris smiled again when Kess lowered his gun. She turned to the Ood and said gently, "let's get you to Ryder, yeah?"

The men watched in awe as the Ood stood. Chris blinked as well, she hadn't expected the Ood to actually listen to her. She smiled at the Ood and stood next to it, raising an eyebrow pointedly at Kess.

"Lead the way, officer," Chris said when Kess didn't automatically respond.

* * *

"I'd now like to point out a new innovation from Ood Operations," Solana said from next to the Ood, "We've introduced a variety package with the Ood translator ball. You can now have the standard setting. How are you today, Ood?"

"I'm perfectly well, thank you," The Ood responded.

"Or perhaps after a stressful day, a little something for the gentlemen," Solana smirked, moving to the next Ood. She was a little disgusted by this, honestly, but she needed the job and it wasn't her position to question the company, "And how are you, Ood?"

"All the better for seeing you," The second Ood responded in a husky female voice.

"And the comedy classic option. Ood, you dropped something."

"D'oh," The Ood said, imitating the classic cartoon character Homer Simpson. Solana smiled as the group around her laughed.

"All that for only five additional credits," She informed the crowd, "The details are in your brochures. Now, there's plenty more food and drink, so don't hold back."

As Solana left the room The Doctor and Donna stepped up to her podium. The Doctor started typing, wanting to see what he could find on the podiums computer.

"Ah, got it," The Doctor said as the screen in front of them changed to show the planet they were currently on, "The Ood Sphere, I've been to this solar system before. Years ago. Ages. Close to the planet Sense-Sphere. Let's widen out. The year 4126. That is the Second Great and Bountiful Human Empire."

" 4126? It's 4126," Donna asked, shocked, "I'm in 4126."

"It's good, isn't it?" The Doctor grinned, always happy to show Donna the universe he and Chris loved so much.

"What's the Earth like now?"

"Bit full," The Doctor said as the screen shifted to show four different galaxies, red lines connecting them, "But you see, the Empire stretches out across three galaxies."

"It's weird," Donna said, "I mean, it's brilliant, but. Back home, the papers and the telly, they keep saying we haven't got long to live. Global warming, flooding, all the bees disappearing."

"Yeah," The Doctor said, "That thing about the bees is odd."

"But look at us," Donna gestured at the screen, "We're everywhere. Is that good or bad, though? I mean, are we like explorers? Or more like a virus?"

"Sometimes I wonder," The Doctor said, agreeing with Donna's line of questioning.

"What are the red dots?"

"Ood distribution centers," The Doctor explained.

"Across three galaxies? Don't the Ood get a say in this?" Donna questioned sharply before going over to the first Ood, "Er, sorry, but. Hello. Tell me, are you all like this?"

"I do not understand, Miss," the Ood responded.

"Why do you say miss?" Donna asked, offended, "Do I look single?"

"Back to the point," The Doctor said

"Yeah," Donna agreed sheepishly, "What I mean is, are there any free Ood? Are there Ood running wild somewhere, like wildebeest."

"All Ood are born to serve." The Ood informed the redhead, "Otherwise, we would die."

"But you can't have started like that," Donna protested, "Before the humans, what were you like?"

"The circle," The Ood started.

"What do you mean?" The Doctor demanded, his interest piqued even more, "What circle?"

"The Cloud and The Rain must be protected." The Ood said as Solana walked back in, getting

everyone's attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Solana called, "All Ood to hospitality stations, please."

"I've had enough of the schmoozing," The Doctor grinned at Donna, holding up a map, "Do you fancy going off the beaten track?"

"Now, if I can introduce you," Solana continued in the background but the two ignored her.

"Rough guide to the Ood Sphere?" Donna grinned, "Works for me."

* * *

Chris glared at Kess once more as he snapped his whip at the Ood that had fallen.

"Oi," she yelled, grabbing the whip from Kess, "they feel pain, you idiot."

"No they-" Kess started to argue but he shut up when Chris glared at him.

"Yes, they do!" She snapped, "they're alive, they feel pain. Stop treating them like slaves!"

"But they are-"

"If you finish that sentence I will use this on you so you can see how it feels," Chris said, she smiled thinly when Kess stopped talking.

Chris huffed and walked to the front of the group. She glanced up to see The Doctor and Donna on the catwalk and who waved to her. She broke off from the group and jogged up the steps to the catwalk before throwing her arms around The Doctor, surprising the Time Lord and Donna.

"Sorry," Chris muttered as she buried her face in The Doctor's chest, "this is so hard to watch."

"Last time I met the Ood, I never thought," The Doctor murmured after a moment, rubbing Chris' back, "I never asked."

"That's not like you," Donna noted, placing a comforting hand on Chris' shoulder, the other woman shifted to give Donna a grateful look.

"I was busy," The Doctor protested, "So busy I couldn't save them. I had to let the Ood die. I reckon I owe them one."

Chris shook her head and sniffed, "not your fault." she told The Doctor who squeezed her shoulders before letting her step away.

"That looks like the boss," Donna said pointing to a balding old man on the floor of the warehouse.

"Oh, I already don't like him," Chris muttered, "never have, never will."

The Doctor looked at Chris who was glaring at the man before grabbing her hand and squeezing. She glanced at him with a small smile before leading the way down the steps.

"Let's get this over with, I hate to see the Ood suffering," Chris told the two of them as she led them to Ood cargo. She'd taken a peek at a map earlier and figured it wouldn't hurt to speed things up a little.

* * *

"Ood export," The Doctor said once they were in the room, "You see? Lifts up the containers, takes them to the rocket sheds, ready to be flown out all over the three galaxies."

"What, you mean, these containers are full of?" Donna questioned, horrified.

"What do you think?" The Doctor asked darkly. He looked over at Chris to see a blank look on the woman's face and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze when she blinked at him.

"Sorry," Chris apologized, shaking her head, "let's keep moving."

"Oh, it stinks," Donna said once The Doctor had gotten one of the large shipping containers open, "How many of them do you think there are in each one?"

"One-hundred and twenty-four," Chris answered, wrapping her arms around her middle, "there are one-hundred and twenty-four Ood in this container."

"A great big empire built on slavery," Donna muttered, disgusted by the behavior of the humans that were benefitting from this.

"It's not so different from your time," The Doctor pointed out.

"Oi," Donna said, offended, "I haven't got slaves."

"Who do you think made your clothes?" The Doctor questioned, raising a brow.

"Is that why you travel round with a human at your side?" Donna demanded, "It's not so you can show them the wonders of the universe, it's so you can take cheap shots?"

"Sorry," The Doctor replied contritely

"Don't, Spaceman," Donna said before turning to the Ood, "I don't understand, the door is open, why don't you just run away?"

"For what reason?" One of the Ood asked.

"You could be free."

"I do not understand the concept," The Ood tilted his head to the side.

"What is it with that Persil ball?" Donna asked, "I mean, they're not born with it, are they? Why do they have to be all plugged in?"

"Ood, tell me," The Doctor said, "Does the circle mean anything to you?"

"The circle must be broken," All the Ood replied, "The Cloud and The Rain must be protected."

"Oh, that is creepy," Donna said, glancing at Chris to see that the other woman was shaking. Donna went over to her and wrapped the girl in a hug, smiling a little when she leaned into it.

"But what is it?" The Doctor questioned, "What is the circle? What do you mean by The Cloud and The Rain?"

"The circle must be broken," All of the Ood Replied, "The Cloud and The Rain must be protected."

"Why?" The Doctor asked.

"So that we can sing," The Ood said together, "so that the Drought can end."

The Doctor was about to ask another question when an alarm sounded throughout the warehouse.

"Oh, that's us," The Doctor noted before grabbing Chris' hand and breaking into a run, almost dragging the shaking girl behind him.

 **You okay?** The Doctor asked Chris as they ran.

 _I'll be fine,_ Rain replied for Chris who was trying to shake off her fear.

She pulled The Doctor to a stop suddenly before calling for Donna to stop as well.

"Donna, wait," Chris called, the woman stopped and turned back to Chris who was just standing there, looking at a door.

"Take us to your leader," Chris said with a grin before the guards who had entered could even do anything. "Tell Mr. Halpen and Dr. Ryder that if they want to survive they are going to need our help."

The guards looked at each other hesitantly before Chris snapped at them.

"I am not a happy woman right now. In fact, I am a very very angry woman right now. And I am also capable of rendering every single one of you incapable of working for the rest of your lives, now move it!"

Donna stared at Chris in shock while The Doctor looked worried for the woman as she started to fiddle with the ring that she always wore on her thumb. He knew her well enough by now to know that she was not thinking her best right now.

"Chris," The Doctor said firmly, grabbing the woman's arm and pulling her to him.

"No," Chris snapped, before hissing at The Doctor, "I know what I'm doing, trust me."

"I do," The Doctor insisted, "but not while you're like this."

"Like what?" Chris whispered sharply.

"Angry," The Doctor said, "you don't think clearly while you're angry."

Chris smiled thinly at The Doctor, "I'm beyond angry, Doctor, I'm furious. Now let go."

She pulled away from The Doctor who watched her in concern as she indicated for the guards to lead the way. She didn't look back at The Doctor as she asked Rain to tell him why she was angry.

 _These people have taken an innocent species, a kind species, my friends, and have enslaved them for profit. I was angry when humans did this to humans. But now I'm pissed, Doctor. No one deserves to be treated the way these people are treating the Ood._

 _ **I understand, Chris. I agree.**_ The Doctor responded heatedly, _**But you need to calm down.**_

 _Oh, so you can get angry all the time, but as soon as I get angry it's a bad thing?_

 _ **I'm not saying that!**_ The Doctor replied, catching up with Chris.

"Chris, please, just-" The Doctor took a breath "please just listen to me."

"Okay," Chris said, stopping to look at The Doctor as he continued.

"You've been there for me so many times when I've been angry. So many. You've saved me from myself more times than I can count. Please, let me help you." The Doctor pleaded.

"If you want to help me then you need to help the Ood," Chris said, her eyes softening. "The circle must be broken."

"Alright," The Doctor breathed, "alright."

He turned to the guards, "Take us to your leader."

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ I got one word for you guys: College. I hope you enjoy the update! We're gonna learn some more about The Rain in the next chapter!


	26. Planet of the Ood: Part Two

"Oh, just listen to that," The Doctor said, stopping the group. They were in a room full of shipment containers right now, and Chris was having a terrible time keeping her emotions in check. She was tempted to break off from the group and release the poor Ood, but she knew that would spell disaster for all of them.

After ten minutes of walking the guards had been called away to deal with the Ood and they were left with only Kess as their 'tour guide.' He was a piss-poor excuse for a guard. Chris knew that something was messing with a part of her brain, she wasn't usually this quick to judge.

"Listen. Listen, listen, listen, listen," The Doctor repeated, as though it would get them to listen, when no one responded, he staggered for a moment, "Oh, my head."

"What is it?" Donna asked concerned, helping The Doctor remain upright.

"Can't you hear it? The singing?" The Doctor asked, glancing at Chris and Donna as though they were stupid humans. Chris glared at him.

"They look different to the others," Donna said, staring at the Ood that were watching them as they walked by. The ones who weren't in the shipping containers.

"That's because they're natural born Ood, unprocessed before they're adapted to slavery," The Doctor explained evenly, "Unspoilt. That's their song."

Chris knew he was pretending that this wasn't affecting him. She did know that. Not only because she had seen it on the show back in her universe, but because she had been getting to know the Timelord even more in her time with him. For some reason though, his uncaring effect right now was bugging her more than usual. She was tempted to smack him. The only thing holding her back was that shred of knowledge that he was acting right now.

"I can't hear it," Donna told the time lord after a moment of listening.

"Do you want to?" The Doctor asked, looking between Chris and Donna again. He was only asking Donna though. Chris was sure of that when he turned away from her after just a second.

"Yeah," Donna agreed while Chris shook her head, even though The Doctor wasn't paying attention to her.

 **Am I imagining the attitude change?** Chris asked Rain after turning away from The Doctor and glaring at Kess, who was watching them impatiently but allowing them this moment.

"It's the song of captivity," The Doctor warned, wanting Donna to be prepared.

 _He's responding to your attitude, dumbbutt,_ Rain taunted.

 **Thanks.**

"Let me hear it," Donna demanded, wanting to experience what it was that was making The Doctor so sad.

"Face me," The Doctor said, bringing his hands up to Donna's temples, "Open your mind. That's it. Hear it, Donna. Hear the music."

"Take it away," Donna said after only a few moments, tears streaming down her face.

"Sure?" The Doctor asked.

"I can't bear it," Donna informed. She breathed a sigh of release when The Doctor broke the connection, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," The Doctor assured the woman.

"But you can still hear it."

"All the time," The Doctor said sadly.

"Can you hear it?" Donna asked, turning to Chris who was staring at the floor with furrowed brows, "Chris?"

"What?" Chris snapped, blinking as she looked at Donna and The Doctor. She shook her head, trying to get rid of the irrational irritation she was feeling, "Huh? Oh, that, yeah, I can hear it."

"Chris, are you alright?" The Doctor asked, stopping in front of the woman who was now staring at the Ood. He placed a hand on her shoulder but didn't seem surprised when she tensely brushed it off.

"Yup," Chris said faux cheerfully startling The Doctor with her sudden change in demeanor "but I'll be much better once this is over."

She nodded to The Doctor who took out his sonic and used it on the padlock, allowing them into the container. Chris was tempted not to follow, but she was intensely curious as to what would happen since she was there now.

"What are you doing?" Kess complained, and Chris glared at him, her irritation back.

"Hush," She demanded before turning to the Ood, "What are you holding? Show us. Friend. Chris, Doctor, Donna. Friend. Let me see. Look at me. Let me see. That's it. That's it, go on. Go on."

The Ood opened his palm to reveal his hindbrain. Chris stared at it, fascinated, before grinning at the Ood. She was determined to save them. She had been the whole time, but now that determination was stronger. She would save the Ood.

"Is that?" Donna asked in surprise, turning to The Doctor for an explanation.

"It's a brain. A hindbrain," The Doctor explained in awe, "The Ood are born with a secondary brain. Like the amygdala in humans, it processes memory and emotions. You get rid of that, you wouldn't be Donna anymore. You'd be like an Ood. A processed Ood."

Chris stepped up to the Ood, placing her hands on his forehead and leaning hers onto them. She didn't know why she was doing it, just that it was something she needed to do. Chris felt tears slide down her eyes and the sudden comfort that was washing over her body. An otherworldly content was pushing the irritation out of her system, allowing her to relax for the first time since she entered the warehouse.

"So the company cuts off their brains?" Donna demanded, glaring at Kess.

"And they stitch on the translator," The Doctor said, watching Chris as she was comforted by the Ood.

"Like a lobotomy," Donna turned to The Doctor with tears in her eyes, "I spent all that time looking for you, Doctor because I thought it was so wonderful out here. I want to go home."

"They're with the Ood, sir," A voice came from behind him, and The Doctor turned to sonic the lock shut again, pulling Donna to his side. Chris was still communing with the Ood, and he sensed that an interruption would hurt more than help.

"What you going to do, then? Arrest me? Lock me up? Throw me in a cage?" The Doctor demanded, "Well, you're too late. Ha!"

"You're an idiot," Chris sighed, shaking her head at The Doctor as she pulled away from the Ood.

"Thanks," He grinned, sensing that she was more in control than she had been before.

* * *

"Why don't you just come out and say it? FOTO activists," Dr. Halpen said, smirking at the three intruders who were handcuffed to some pipes in his office. He had sent Kess out to prep the canisters for eradicating the Ood. Ood Sigma was standing behind him, ready to serve as always.

"If that's what Friends Of The Ood are trying to prove, then yes," The brown haired man said with a glare. Halpen was intrigued by the man in front of him, but he could see that he would be more of a liability than an asset.

"The Ood were nothing without us, just animals roaming around on the ice," Halpen informed, still smirking. The man had invested far too much of his time into the Ood to allow three measly humans to harm him or his company.

"That's because you can't hear them," the dark-haired girl snapped, "just because you're deaf it doesn't mean other people can't hear."

"They welcomed it," Halpen argued, glaring at her, "It's not as if they put up a fight."

"You idiot," the ginger snapped, seeing that her friends were distressed, "They're born with their brains in their hands. Don't you see, that makes them peaceful. They've got to be because a creature like that would have to trust anyone it meets."

"Oh, nice one," The brown-haired man complimented.

"Thank you."

"The system's worked for two hundred years," Halpen shrugged, he glanced at Ryder who was working at the computer, "All we've got is a rogue batch. But the infection is about to be sterilized." He brought his wrist comm. up to talk to his trusted guard, "Mister Kess, how do we stand?"

"Canisters primed, sir," Kess' voice came through the comm. "As soon as the core heats up, the gas is released. Give it two hundred marks and counting."

"Doctor," the dark-haired girl grunted, pulling at her cuffs.

"You're going to gas them?" this "Doctor" demanded, horrified.

"Kill the livestock," Halpen said, proud of himself, "The classic foot and mouth solution from the olden days. Still works."

"They've awoken," the dark-hair girl said suddenly, as alarms started to blare. She was grinning at him in a way that sent a shiver down his spine, "now you get to see what happens when a peaceful species is pushed to the brink."

"What the hell?" Halpen demanded, sending his glare at Ryder. The man had been getting on his nerves for the last ten years. Halpen was ready to put all the blame on him.

"There are no reports of trouble off-world, sir," Ryder reported as he checked the systems, "It's still contained to the Ood Sphere."

"Then we've got a public duty to stop it before it spreads," Halpen said determinedly. He was not about to let this mishap affect his growing empire.

"What's happening?" The "Doctor" demanded from where he was still handcuffed.

"Everything you wanted, Doctor," Halpen sneered, "No doubt there'll be a full police investigation once this place has been sterilized, so I can't risk a bullet to the head. I'll leave you to the mercies of the Ood."

"But Mister Halpen, there's something else, isn't there?" The "Doctor" asked, "Something we haven't seen."

"What do you mean?" the ginger questioned, obviously not following what the other man was hinting at. "Chris, what does he mean?"

"A creature couldn't survive with a separate forebrain and hindbrain; they'd be at war with themselves," The Doctor explained to the ginger, "There's got to be something else, a third element, am I right?"

"And again, so clever," Halpen sneered. The man was getting on his nerves.

"Just get out of here," Chris demanded, startling everyone with her harshness. Her hands were clenched to the point that her knuckles were white, "you were going to leave in two seconds anyways, and frankly I'm tired of looking at your face."

Halpen considered staying just to irk the woman, but he really did need to check on the situation at hand. He glared at her before turning on his heel and stalking out the door.

* * *

"What? His face was bothering me," Chris defended at the worried looks she was receiving from both Donna and The Doctor, "at least now we only have to wait for the Ood rather than listen to him speak."

"Well, why don't you get us out of these handcuffs, so we don't have to wait for anything?" Donna demanded, tugging on the cuffs. She huffed and turned to The Doctor, "You're the one with all the tricks. You must have met Houdini."

"These are really good handcuffs," The Doctor told her with a frown. He was worried about Chris, but there didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to her mood swings.

"Oh well, I'm glad of that," Donna retorted sarcastically, "I mean, at least we've got quality."

The three of them looked to the door to see a trio of Ood entering. Chris smiled gently at them while Donna and The Doctor started to plead, repeating themselves over and over again.

"Doctor, Donna, Chris friends," The Doctor said, struggling with his handcuffs.

"The circle must be broken," Donna pleaded as the Ood moved closer. This was not the way she had wanted traveling with The Doctor to go. She did not wish for Death By Ood.

"The Cloud and the Rain must be protected," Chris interjected when the Ood stopped, their heads tilting.

"Doctor. Donna. Friends. Chris. Sister." The Ood said.

"Yes. That's us. Friends. Oh, yes," The Doctor and Donna said with relief as the Ood moved forward to release them.

"The Cloud and the Rain must be protected."

* * *

"I don't know where it is," The Doctor complained as they ran through yet another corridor, "I don't know where they've gone. Chris, do you know where they've gone?"

"What are we looking for?" Donna asked, not letting Chris respond.

"It might be underground, like some sort of cave, or a cavern, or-" an explosion interrupted The Doctor, and the three exchanged a look, "All right?"

Chris turned at the feeling of someone behind them and smiled at Sigma Ood. She felt relaxed by his presence, just as she had been with the other Ood. Chris stepped towards him when he nodded and copied her movements from earlier, placing her hands on his forehead and her forehead on her own hands. She ignored The Doctor and Donna who were watching her with a mixture of impatience and confusion.

"Thank you," Chris warmly smiled when she stepped back.

Sigma nodded before gesturing at the group to follow them down the hall. His steps were even, but the trio had to rush to catch up. Chris stayed close to Sigma even when they entered the room that Halpen and Ryder were in.

"It's always been an option," Halpen said as they entered, referring to the plan he'd just told Ryder, "My grandfather drew up this plan. That's the advantage of a family run business, Doctor Ryder. The personal touch."

"But we should evacuate," Ryder urged, trying to get Halpen away from the controls so he could enact his plan, "If we can get to the rocket sheds, we can-"

"No need. We've got this," Halpen interrupted, holding up a pack, "Detonation Packs. Place them around the circumference. We're going to blow it up. This thing dies, so do the Ood."

"The Ood Brain," The Doctor said drawing the men's attention to the group, "Now it all makes sense, That's the missing link. The third element, binding them together. Forebrain, hindbrain, and this, the telepathic center. It's a shared mind, connecting all the Ood in song."

"Cargo. I can always go into cargo," Halpen said, watching The Doctor, "I've got the rockets, I've got the sheds. Smaller business. Much more manageable, without livestock."

"He's mined the area," Ryder informed them, briefly looking away from Halpen.

"You're going to kill it?" Donna asked, disgusted at the thought.

"They found that thing centuries ago beneath the Northern Glacier," Halpen told them, as though that would justify his actions.

"Those pylons," The Doctor started, observing the Ood Brain almost- curiously.

"In a circle," Donna continued, understanding what The Doctor was getting at, "The circle must be broken."

"Damping the telepathic field," The Doctor said, frowning, "Stopping the Ood from connecting for two hundred years."

"And you, Ood Sigma, you brought them here," Halpen snarled, turning to the Ood, "I expected better."

"My place is at your side, sir," Sigma said, taking up his spot right next to Halpen, Chris just on the other side of him.

"Still subservient," Halpen said, mollified by the reply, "Good Ood."

"If that barrier thing's in place, how come the Ood started breaking out?" Donna wondered looking to The Doctor for the answer.

"Maybe it's taken centuries to adapt," The Doctor speculated, watching Chris where she's stood next to Sigma and observing Halpen with a barely concealed rage, "The subconscious reaching out?"

"But the process was too slow. It had to be accelerated," Ryder said, standing taller and glaring at Halpen, "You should never give me access to the controls, Mister Halpen. I lowered the barrier to its minimum. Friends Of The Ood, sir. It's taken me ten years to infiltrate the company, and I succeeded."

"Yes. Yes, you did," Halpen agreed, lunging towards Ryder only to be pulled back by Chris. She had a tight grip on Halpen's collar, and the man couldn't move any closer to Ryder.

"Don't you dare," Chris snarled, startling the man, "one more move towards him and you get a little taste of the Ood Brain."

"You tried to kill him," Donna accused, pulling Ryder away from the railing as Chris let go of Halpen and stepped back behind Sigma.

"Tried being the keyword," Chris growled, dusting herself off and glaring at Halpen who was seething, "would've succeeded too."

"Would you like a drink, sir?" Sigma offered, moving in front of Chris as Halpen raised a gun and pointed it at the woman.

The Doctor turned a glare towards Chris, "What do you mean 'would have succeeded?'"

Chris raised an unimpressed eyebrow at the Timelord beside her. She looked pointedly at the gun in Halpen's hand before responding, "I mean, had I not been here, Dr. Ryder would be dead. A senseless death, might I add. You and I both know it wasn't a fixed point in time."

"We're discussing this later," The Doctor informed her with narrowed eyes.

"Gladly," Chris hissed, shifting her glare from Halpen to The Doctor for just a moment before turning to glare at Halpen.

"I think hair loss is the least of my problems right now, thanks," Halpen said, shrugging off Sigma and shifting to get a better aim at Chris

"Please have a drink, sir," Sigma insisted, moving to block Chris from Halpen's view again.

"If, if you're going to stand in their way, I'll shoot you too," Halpen threatened as his hand started to shake.

"Please have a drink, sir," Sigma calmly insisted as Halpen started to gag.

"Have, have you poisoned me?" Halpen demanded, scrabbling at his mouth. and throat

"Natural Ood must never kill, sir," Sigma informed the man sagely.

"What is that stuff?" The Doctor questioned, shifting his gaze from Chris to Sigma.

"Ood graft suspended in a biological compound, sir," Sigma explained.

"What the hell does that mean?" Halpen demanded as he pulled at his hair.

"Oh, dear," The Doctor snickered, quite proud of the Ood.

"Tell me!"

"Funny thing, the subconscious," The Doctor grinned, "Takes all sorts of shapes. Came out in the red-eye as revenge, came out in the rabid Ood as anger, and then there was patience. All that intelligence and mercy focused on Ood Sigma. How's the hair loss, Mister Halpen?"

"What have you done?" Halpen demanded, turning on Sigma when he pulled out a bunch of hair.

"Oh, they've been preparing you for a very long time," The Doctor informed as he simply watched Halpen shift, "And now you're standing next to the Ood Brain, Mister Halpen, can you hear it? Listen."

"What have you?" Halpen struggled to get out as his very being began to change, "I'm not."

"They, they turned him into an Ood?" Donna asked, watching Halpen changed into an Ood with disgust.

"Yep," The Doctor chirped.

"He's an Ood," Donna said.

"I noticed."

"He has become Oodkind, and we will take care of him," Sigma said after Halpen sneezed out a hindbrain.

"It's weird, being with you," Donna said to The Doctor, "I can't tell what's right and what's wrong anymore."

"It's better that way," The Doctor told the human, "People who know for certain tend to be like Mister Halpen."

* * *

Chris observed the scene, only relaxing when Halpen was fully Ood before turning to Ryder who was watching her carefully. She smiled at the man before moving to the controls for the telepathic field.

 _Hey, Doc, wanna do the honors,_ Rain offered as Chris stared at the controls, unsure which button to pressed

"Oh," The Doctor responded before going to deactivate the explosives, "That's better. And now, Sigma, would you allow me the honor?"

"It is yours, Doctor," Sigma said with a nod.

"Oh, yes!" The Doctor cheered as he pulled the lever that deactivated the pylon circle, "Stifled for two hundred years, but not anymore. The circle is broken. The Ood can sing."

As the electrical current around the Ood Brain collapsed so did a barrier in Chris' mind. She hadn't known it was there, but now that it was gone she was hit by a myriad of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. She could feel the irritation that had been flowing through her earlier, but it was quickly expelled by an overwhelming mix of joy and freedom.

"I can hear it!" Donna breathed in awe, tears streaming down her face.

The Doctor wrapped an arm around Chris, and she leaned into his side, smiling softly at the man. Now that she understood where the irritation had been coming from Chris felt relaxed. She'd been weighed down by the emotions of the Ood, ones she didn't even realize she was connected to, and now she was free. Well, not really, she could still feel their emotions. But their joy was freeing.

 **We're having a talk when we get back to the Tardis,** Chris told Rain who she could feel in the back of her mind, **about your memory.**

 _Whatever you say,_ Rain replied defensively.

 **Goddamnit Rain, I'm worried about you. Okay?** Chris snapped, biting her lip to keep from crying out at the pain yelling in her head caused.

 _Good for you,_ Rain snapped before refusing to respond to Chris anymore.

"You okay?" The Doctor whispered to Chris as he led her outside.

"I'll be fine," Chris responded distractedly, trying to get Rain to respond. She was worried about her and determined to find out what was wrong.

* * *

"The message has gone out," The Doctor said, shutting the Tardis door behind him, "That song resonated across the galaxies. Everyone heard it. Everyone knows. The rockets are bringing them back. The Ood are coming home."

"We thank you, Doctor Donna, friends of Oodkind." Sigma said to The Doctor and Donna before turning to Chris, "Chris, the Cloud in which the Rain resides, our sister. And what of you now? Will you stay? There is room in the song for you."

"You know I can't," Chris smiled at Sigma, "the song must go on."

Sigma nodded and turned to The Doctor, repeating his question.

"Oh, I've, I've sort of got a song of my own, thanks," The Doctor said, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"I think your song must end soon."

"Meaning?" The Doctor asked, his brows raised in worry.

"Every song must end."

"Yeah," The Doctor nodded, perplexed, before turning to Donna, "Er, what about you? You still want to go home?"

"No," Donna shook her head, "Definitely not."

"Then we'll be off," The Doctor grinned, looking from Chris to Donna with a grin.

"Take this song with you," Sigma told them.

"We will," Donna agreed readily.

"Always," The Doctor nodded.

"And know this, Doctor Donna," Sigma said, "You will never be forgotten. Our children will sing of the Doctor Donna, and our children's children, and the wind and the ice and the snow will carry your names forever."

The Doctor and Donna made their way onto the Tardis, not noticing that Chris had stayed behind. She grinned at Sigma who nodded back.

"The Cloud and The Rain will be protected."

* * *

A/N: I'm not sure why I struggled so much with this chapter but I really struggled. I hope the wait was worth it. I'm not sure when I'll have the next episode done for you guys. I've started a second job and college is still as busy as ever. If you have any specific episodes (or anything really) that you want to see please let me know! I've got ideas but I still want suggestions!

-Ryn


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